The Lagos State House of Assembly has invited the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikorodu Branch, to a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on a Bill for a Law to Amend the Magistrates’ Court Law of Lagos State 2015 and for Connected Purposes.
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The invitation, contained in a letter dated 2nd September, 2026 and referenced LSHA/LM/C/484/991, was signed by the Clerk of the House, A. A. Oshinowo, and addressed to the Chairman of the NBA, Ikorodu Branch, at The Cloak Room, High Court, Ikorodu, Lagos.
According to the letter, the House at its Plenary Session of Monday, 31st August, 2026 committed the Bill to the House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC “for further Legislative scrutiny.”
The Clerk wrote: “In view of the above, I write to invite you to a day stakeholders meeting on the proposed legislation being organized by the House through the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC on Monday, 7th September, 2026 at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium, Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja at 10:00 am.”
He added: “It would be appreciated if you could kindly peruse the proposed legislation and forward your memorandum (hard & soft copy) on same to the Committee through Office of the Clerk of the House on or before Friday, 4th September, 2026.”
What The Bill Proposes
A copy of the Bill, attached to the invitation, seeks to amend the Magistrates’ Court Law Ch. M1 of Lagos State 2015, described in the Bill as the Principal Law, in four substantive respects.
By its interpretation clause, the Bill defines “Law Officer” to mean “all Counsel appointed into the Lagos State Public Service.”
Retirement At 65 Years Or 40 Years In Service
Clause 3 of the Bill deletes and replaces Section 10 (1) (a) of the Principal Law. The replacement provision reads: “Notwithstanding the provisions of Lagos State Public Services Rules or any other Law of the State, a Magistrate appointed under Section 4 of this Law and a Law Officer duly employed in the State Public Service shall cease to hold office when the Magistrate/ Law officer — (i) has attained the age of sixty-five (65) years; or (ii) has attained forty (40) years in service, whichever one comes first.”
The clause therefore extends the same exit rule to Magistrates and to counsel in the State Public Service, and expressly overrides the Lagos State Public Services Rules and any other State Law on the point.
Jurisdiction Raised From N10 Million To N25 Million
Clause 4 amends Section 28 of the Principal Law in subsections (1)(a), (b), 2(a)(ii) and (4) by deleting “Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000.00)” and replacing it with “Twenty-five Million Naira (N25,000,000.00)” respectively.
Chief Judge’s Power To Increase Jurisdiction
Clause 5 deletes Section 30 of the Principal Law and replaces it with a new provision headed “Power to Increase Jurisdiction.”
Under the new Section 30 (1), “The Chief Judge may by notice published in the Gazette increase the jurisdiction to be exercised by a Magistrate in Civil causes or matters in the State.”
Section 30 (2) provides that “The Chief Judge may by notice published in the Gazette authorise a Magistrate to impose punishment exceeding that prescribed under the provision of Section 28 of this Law. Such authority may be general or in respect of the offences which the Magistrate has jurisdiction to try and as may be specified in the notice.”
Section 30 (3) then subjects that power to legislative control: “The power conferred on the Chief Judge in subsections (1-3) above shall be subject to approval of the House of Assembly in accordance with the Regulations Approval Law.”
Citation And Commencement
Clause 6 provides that the Law may be cited as the Magistrate’s Courts (Amendment) Law and shall come into force on a date left blank in the copy attached to the invitation, with the year stated as 2025.
Memoranda Deadline
The Clerk’s letter directed that memoranda be forwarded in hard and soft copy to the Committee through the Office of the Clerk of the House on or before Friday, 4th September, 2026, three days ahead of the meeting.
The Office of the Clerk to the House is located at the House of Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja.
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