Kemisola Oye
THE Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro ( SAN) has said that, henceforth, no case would be allowed to last more than 24 months in court.
He also said the Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had approved funds for the completion and furnishing of the JIC Taylor Magistrate Court House in Igbosere and payment of 34 flats official quarters for magistrates.
The AG disclosed this earlier today while speaking with the newsmen on the upcoming Strategic Stakeholders Meeting and Commemoration of his first year in office held at the Ministry of Justice, Alausa Ikeja.
To achieve speedy delivery of Justice, Pedro said a bill for the enactment of Administration of Civil Justice Law (ACJL) has been forwarded to the Lagos State House of Assembly for legislative process.
The Justice Commissioner said that when the bill is passed into law, litigation in trial courts should not last more than 18 to 24 months and tenancy matters between three to six months.
“The idea is to ensure that no tenant owes his landlord or the landlord is ejecting his tenant when the matter is before the court. Notices would be given, but we would not allow it to be used as an instrument of oppression by either the tenant or landlord.'”
He said no tenant would be allowed to go away with his landlord’s money because the matter was in court. He said that in the Criminal Justice System, delays in DPP legal advice and prosecution have been addressed.
He said, in addition, that the Lagos State Criminal Information System (LSCIS) has been established to capture photographs and biometrics and identify the cases of all inmates in the correctional centres in Lagos State.
He listed other innovations introduced to include the Bill for the Establishment of Lis Pendens Registry on Land Matters.
According to him, “The registry aims to serve as a repository of information of land disputes in our courts to prevent instances of purchase of land that is subject of litigation by unsuspecting purchasers without notice.
“This initiative will not only reduce incidents of third-party interests arising from ongoing court cases but also enhance confidence in real-estate investment within the state.”
He said that another Bill being proposed is the Customary Marriage and Dissolution Registry for the registration of customary marriages and dissolution of customary marriages.
The commissioner posited that this would give the people of Lagos State the opportunity to have customary marriage certificates and certificates of dissolution of customary marriages.
The AG further said that Governor Sanwo-Olu has approved funds for the completion and furnishing of the JIC Taylor Magistrate Court House while announcing the upcoming Strategic Stakeholders Meeting, scheduled for 23 October 2024.
He said the meeting, with the theme, “Enhancing Collaboration for Effective Justice Delivery,” aims to strengthen inter-agency collaboration and improve the enforcement of laws throughout Lagos State.
“This gathering is a direct response to the insights gained from the Lagos Justice Summit held in May this year, where key stakeholders identified the need for enhanced cooperation and coordination within the justice system.
“One of the summit’s primary recommendations was to convene this strategic meeting to elevate the standards of justice and ensure that justice is not merely an ideal but a tangible reality for all residents of Lagos State. The meeting will provide a critical platform for engaging with various stakeholders towards harmonizing MDA operations to improve service delivery and reduce government liability exposure in land administration, physical planning and environmental management”, he said.
He further stated that the Ministry of Justice has maintained the tradition of keeping Lagos State as the vanguard of the rule of law, fiscal federalism, reform of justice administration and good governance. These, he said, are achieved through the various directorates and departments in the ministry.
He listed all other directorates under the Ministry of Justice and their functions to the residents of the state including The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), The Directorate of Commercial Law (DCOMLAW), The Citizens Mediation Centre (CMC), The Directorate for Citizens’ Rights (DCR), The Public Advice Centre (PAC), The Office of the Public Defender (OPD), The Administrator General and Public Trustee (AG & PT), and the Directorate of Civil Litigation (DCL).
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