Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) has said that courts are expected to attend to matters that are urgent, essential or time-bound during the lockdown declared by President Muhammadu Buhari.
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Malami said speedy dispensation of justice is a cardinal principle of Justice Sector Reform of the present administration and urged that time-bound cases should be treated with dispatch and accorded the required attention.
This is contained in a statement issued by Dr Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations to the AGF and made available to newsmen on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.
According to the statement, the directive is communicated in a letter addressed to all heads of courts dated April 1, 2020 conveying the COVID 19 Regulation 2020
The letter was titled “Re: Preventive Measures on the Spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Protection of Justices, Judges and Staff of Courts.”
The letter stated that “Further to the letter Ref. No. NJC/CIR/HOC/11/631 dated 23rd March, 2020 by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice I. T. Mohammad, directing suspension of court sittings for an initial period of two weeks at the first instance, except in matters that are urgent, essential or time-bound according to extant laws.”
Malami said the directive issued by the CJN was in tandem with the COVID-19 Regulations 2020 made pursuant to Quarantine Act 2004 by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari.
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