Festus Keyamo, SAN,
A Senior Advocate of Nigerian (SAN), Festus Keyamo, has said that he will not be the AGF without unbundling the Supreme Court, arguing that the kind of cases that are brought before the Apex Court are “scandalous, interlocutory appeals”.
The rights activist said, Nigeria’s Supreme Court is the busiest in the world and as such requires unbundling.
“Our Supreme Court is the busiest in the world and it is not just acceptable,” Festus Keyamo said while responding to a question by Senator Omo Agege during a ministerial screening exercise which held in Abuja on Friday.
Senator Omo Agege had asked Keyamo what reforms he would like to see in the justice sector if the President gives him the position of Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
Responding to the Deputy Senate President’s question, Keyamo said if he is AGF, his first duty will be to unbundle the Supreme Court, as well as bring new reforms to the judicial system.
Speaking further on unbundling the Supreme Court, Keyamo said if he is made the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), he will ensure that the courts in Abuja will only tend to constitutional issues, political matters, and election disputes that have to do with the interpretation of the constitution because, at that point, the nation will need the guidance of a central Supreme Court.
“If I am AGF, I have the idea I call the three ‘Ds’ that would be at the heart of judicial reforms. The first D is the decongestion of the Supreme Court, the Second will be the decongestion of the prisons and the third one will be the decongestion of court lists,” Keyamo said.
Keyamo further stressed that the Supreme Court is burdened with appeals dealing with frivolous matters.
The Senior Advocate said: “Land matters, contract matters, marriage and all of that” will end there.
Keyamo stated that these ‘frivolous’ matters in the Supreme Court are the reasons why many cases are still pending for years at the Apex Court, adding that ‘Justice Delayed is Justice Denied’.
He however opined that Nigeria has become big enough to have six regional Supreme Courts where appeals from the regions can be handled appropriately.
