Oyo State Customary Court of Appeal is set to kick off full operation of administration of justice to common people as Governor Abiola Ajimobi, on Friday swear in three newly appointed judges.
The swearing in is coming on the heels of the appointment of Justice Solomon Akinteye as the President of the court earlier in the year.
The government says the state took a bold step by creating the Grade A Customary Courts and appointing officers and members to the Bench of the Customary Court to expand access to justice.
The court is expected to mediate in matters involving land in the rural areas, marriages, inheritance, guardianship and custody of children among other matters.
The sworn-in Judges are, Mr Mikail Oyafajo, Mrs Abimbola Olatunji-Daniel and Mr Tajudeen Abdul-Ganiyu.
The event was witnessed by members of the State executive council, the State’s Chief Judge, Justice Munta Abimbola, the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Solomon Akinteye, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, religious leaders and families of the newly-sworn-in Judges among others.
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Speaking at the event which held at the Executive Chamber of the Agodi Government Secretariat, Ibadan, Governor Ajimobi noted that although the law establishing the customary court of appeal was enacted in 2008, the court was not actualized until this year.
He said, “The concept of a customary court of appeal was borne out of the need to decongest the caseload of the High Courts. This Court would equally afford a platform for a closer and more efficient administration of customary law in our state’s legal system.
“Appeals from other Grades of Customary Courts will now go to Customary Court of Appeal, rather than coming to the High Court by way of judicial review.
“An integral aspect of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, as enshrined in Chapter two of our Constitution requires the government to ensure due access to justice. This is as provided in Section 17(2)e of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which provides for the independence, impartiality and integrity of the courts of law and easy access thereto.
“Access to justice in any society is critical and fundamental, as is the dispensation of justice. Access to justice is not only the most basic requirement of any system of justice or the most basic human right of any system, but also the hallmark of any sane and civilized society.
“Even though the Constitution provides for superior courts of records, it recognizes the need for lower courts which can be readily approached by ordinary citizens in society, especially in the hinterland. Hence, it allows for States, through their respective Houses of Assembly, to establish other levels of Area and Customary Courts for the administration of justice at the grassroots without undue regard to technicalities. Customary Courts can safely be referred to as the grassroots Courts, deepening access to justice.
“Although the law establishing the Customary Court of Appeal was enacted in 2008, but the court was not actualized until this year. The concept of a Customary Court of Appeal was borne out of the need to decongest the caseload of the High Courts. This Court would equally afford a platform for a closer and more efficient administration of customary law in our State’s legal system.
“Appeals from other Grades of Customary Courts will now go to Customary Court of Appeal, rather than coming to the High Court by way of Judicial review.”
According to the governor, the State’s House of Assembly had recently passed another executive bill, tagged the High Court (Amendment) Law, to allow the State High Court to have the power of transferring cases to other courts that have jurisdiction in the State.
He added that the Customary Court Grade A and Customary Court of Appeal were positioned to benefit from the passage of the Executive Bill and would bring more sanity to the system as the High Court docket would be decongested.
