Civil and commercial cases should not last beyond two years in court, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), has said.
He does not see why the same urgency accorded election petitions should not apply to other cases that are critical to economic growth.
Pedro plans to convene a stakeholder summit to work out how to shorten the time for determining civil and commercial cases.
“We hope to have cases decided within 24 months. Landlord and tenant matters should be decided within six months,” said the newly-sworn-in Attorney-General.
Pedro spoke at a reception organised in his honour by his friends and associates.
In attendance were many Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), his predecessors Olasupo Shasore (SAN), Ade Ipaye and Adeniyi Kazeem, among other dignitaries.
The SAN said a situation where litigants have no idea when cases will be determined will only discourage rather than attract investments.
“Election petitions are determined quickly, but how about people who have committed a lot of money to investments?
“How will the employment situation be improved if industries are not thriving?
“The only way businesses will thrive is when we have a very efficient justice system that guarantees when a litigant will exit the court system.
“I cannot do it alone. I already have the commitment of the Bar association, and working with the Judiciary, we should be able to revisit our rules to fashion a way to ensure that cases no longer last more than two years at the maximum in our courts,” Pedro said.
The A-G said his immediate task is to ensure effective law enforcement in Lagos.
“Our laws must be enforced and judgments of the courts must be obeyed,” he said.
Among his agenda is the decongestion of prisons through non-custodial sentencing so that people who commit trivial offences are not sent to jail on conviction.
Pedro got some advice from his predecessors.
Ipaye said an Attorney-General could get sucked into the many cases the state is involved in and take his eyes off staff welfare and capacity building.
“The training of counsel must be taken seriously. I ensured that everyone had a computer, a decent table, and the library was functional,” the former Chief of Staff to the Vice President said.
Ipaye, who called for speedy issuance of the director of public prosecution’s (DPP’s) advice, recalled that he set up a task force to monitor cases “because someone’s life depends on your decisions”.
He attributed his success as A-G to Pedro’s support, describing the role as an opportunity to make an impact on the people.
“The next most important person to the governor is the A-G. Everyone at the end of the day turns to him,” Ipaye said.
Kazeem described Pedro as the “ultimate insider”, but stressed that despite being familiar with the ministry, the role of an Attorney-General differs from that of the Solicitor-General, as there are different interests and expectations to be met.
He urged Pedro to choose the right team to help him succeed, adding that he must always interface with the Judiciary while fighting for the welfare of his workers and constituency and ensuring they get what is due them.
Kazeem added: “Concentrate on your legacy. Set the tone for new things you will be remembered for. And project your achievements.”
A former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) General Secretary, Deacon Dele Adesina (SAN), urged Pedro to work with his colleagues in other states to push for a constitutional amendment to limit the number of cases that go on appeal.
Incumbent NBA General Secretary, Adesina Adegbite, who was one of the organisers of the reception, expressed confidence in Pedro’s capacity to excel in the new role.
He said: “The legacies of Mr Pedro as Director of Civil Litigation and as Permanent Secretary/Solicitor General underscore the fact that now that he has a greater opportunity to serve, he will do even better.
“He cannot do it alone. We all need to support him so that he will leave the office better than he met it. He mentioned his plan to revamp the administration of the civil justice system in Lagos State.
“What we have now is a situation where you file a case today and you’re in court for 10 or 15 years. That is unacceptable. This is partly due to the high number of cases being filed in Lagos and the limited number of judges.
“We have a peculiar situation, so there should be a peculiar approach to make the justice delivery system faster, simpler and cheaper and this is why we must all support Mr Pedro’s reform agenda.
“It is only when we have an efficient justice system that we can have an economy that is prosperous and attractive to foreign investors.”
