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Lagos CJ announces task Force committee on old cases

By Yetunde Ayobami Ojo
03 March 2018   |   3:45 am
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Opeyemi Oke has set up Ad hoc Task Force Committee on Old Cases as part of efforts to decongest the court. She disclosed this yesterday at a press conference. Tagged, “Court Congestion Project; a Backlog Elimination Programme by the Lagos State Judiciary,” she said that there are several lawsuits…

Justice Opeyemi Oke

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Opeyemi Oke has set up Ad hoc Task Force Committee on Old Cases as part of efforts to decongest the court.

She disclosed this yesterday at a press conference. Tagged, “Court Congestion Project; a Backlog Elimination Programme by the Lagos State Judiciary,” she said that there are several lawsuits that have lasted over 20 years before various courts in the state without resolution.

According to her, the probable causes of delay have been chiefly classified into categories, inefficient case management by counsel, court indisposition and interlocutory appeals.

She continued that, 229 of 376 of such cases had been identified for review, adding that lawsuits bordering on land disputes account for 67.5 per cent of the number.

This situation, the CJ said, had become damaging to the “brand of a global Lagos,” which, she said, deserves a world-class judicial system.

She posited that in fulfillment of the promise she made in her inauguration speech to tackle the problem of court congestion and slow dispensation of justice, the scheme was in collaboration with 14 law firms, which had volunteered to help in the screening of all old cases pending before the courts.

The CJ stated that the law firms are to work in collaboration with the committee, made up of 10 judges of the high court.

The judges are Justices Babajide Candide-Johnson (chairman), M.O. Obadina, O.A. Williams, Oluwatoyin Taiwo, Aishat Opesanwo, Olabisi Akinlade, O.O. Femi-Adeniyi, F.J. Bankole-Oki, A.J. Bashua and Femi Adamson.

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