By Ken Afor
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN), has proposed ambitious plans to significantly increase compensation for judicial officers and undertake sweeping reforms in Nigeria’s justice system.
Fagbemi made his remarks at a public hearing organized by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters chaired by Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC – Borno North) on Monday. He strongly endorsed the proposed Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) Bill 2024, which would enact a 300% rise in salaries and allowances for judges and other judicial officers. He argued that the proposed increase is long overdue after 16 years without any pay increases.
The proposal was also supported by the National Judicial Council (NJC), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC), amongst others.
“The present-day but sad reality is that the judiciary has stagnated on the same salary scale for over 16 years. This is totally unacceptable and quite antithetical to any meaningful judicial reform. I strongly commend this Bill for your kind consideration and urge the Senate to support and ensure the passage of this Bill in the national interest of promoting the rule of law,” Fagbemi stated.
The Attorney General emphasized that the pay increase is critical “to ensure judicial independence and integrity” and to promote the rule of law in Nigeria. He urged the Senate to swiftly pass the legislation.
However, the salary increase is just one part of a broader reforms the administration is pursuing for Nigeria’s justice system. The Attorney General revealed plans to establish a Working Group tasked with reviewing the Constitution and relevant laws “aimed at achieving a judiciary that responds to the evolving justice needs of Nigerians.”
“We are interested in ensuring a holistic review of our judicial system,” Fagbemi stated, promising that the Working Group’s proposals for “Constitutional and Statutory reforms of the Judiciary in particular, and the Administration of the Justice System in general” will be forthcoming soon.
The proposed judicial salary increases and system-wide reforms come amidst longstanding complaints about delays, underfunding, and a lack of public confidence in Nigeria’s courts and legal institutions. However, the extent of the changes and their potential budgetary impacts remain unclear pending full details from the Working Group and legislative approval of the salary bill.
