Professor Adekunbi Imosemi has called for comprehensive reforms of Nigeria’s justice system, including the establishment of specialised family courts in all 36 states to strengthen the protection of vulnerable persons and improve access to justice.
Imosemi made the call while delivering the 63rd Babcock University Inaugural Lecture, titled “The Dangling Pendulums of Lady Justitia: Re-echoing Justice for the Victims, the Criminals and the Law in a Permissive Society”, on Thursday in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State.
The Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Administration said specialised family courts would provide a dedicated judicial framework for addressing cases of domestic violence, child abuse, child marriage and human trafficking.
She also urged all states to adopt the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015, which currently applies at the federal level in the Federal Capital Territory, while some states have enacted their own versions.
According to her, nationwide adoption of the legislation would strengthen the protection of victims of gender-based violence and help address marital rape. She cited Lagos State’s provisions recognising that a husband could be guilty of sexual assault by penetration, with life imprisonment as the maximum penalty upon conviction.
On corruption and governance, Imosemi said the fight against corruption would remain ineffective without genuinely independent anti-corruption institutions.
She called for greater institutional independence for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), recommending security of tenure for their leadership, adequate funding and protection from executive interference.
The law professor also advocated stronger asset declaration requirements through public disclosure and independent verification. She described the enactment of a comprehensive whistle-blower protection law as long overdue.
Furthermore, she called for an amendment to Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to exclude economic crimes from the scope of constitutional immunity enjoyed by certain public office holders.
Addressing challenges in the administration of criminal justice, Imosemi advocated the domestication of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 across all states of the federation.
She also recommended comprehensive training on the ACJA and the Nigeria Police Force Establishment Act 2020 for judges, magistrates, police officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers and correctional officials.
According to her, improved knowledge and implementation of these laws would strengthen justice delivery and ensure that the rights of all stakeholders in the criminal justice system are protected.
On correctional services, Imosemi urged the government to increase funding for correctional facilities and strengthen accountability among officials to ensure compliance with existing laws.
She further called for the decongestion of correctional centres and greater involvement of civil society organisations and faith-based communities in independent monitoring.
Her recommendations, she argued, are essential to restoring public confidence in the justice system and ensuring that justice serves victims, accused persons and society at large.
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