Former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has called for a fundamental restructuring of Nigeria’s judicial philosophy, lamenting that courts often elevate technicalities above the pursuit of substantive justice.
Speaking at the second Prof. Yusuf Ali Annual Lecture at the Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin, on Wednesday, the professor of law said the justice system must serve people rather than “glorify procedural formalities.”
Osinbajo said, “The essence of any justice system is to serve the people, not to glorify procedural formalities. Even English courts, whose practices we inherited, have evolved beyond such rigid technicalities by allowing amendments at any stage to ensure justice is done.”
Osinbajo warned that Nigeria’s continued reliance on outdated legal practices undermined justice delivery and eroded public trust in the courts.
He said, “In view of this, I urge legal practitioners, academics, and policymakers to adopt critical, decolonised thinking to reform legal education, legal practice, and the administration of justice.”
He acknowledged that while the Supreme Court had, in some cases—especially electoral disputes—adopted a more flexible approach, “inconsistency remains a major concern.”
Osinbajo further stated, “A justice system that glorifies form over substance risks losing its relevance and effectiveness.”
Legal System Still Trapped In Colonial Legacies – Odinkalu
Delivering the lecture titled Towards Decolonising Legal Briefs: Effective Implementation of the Local Content Law for the Benefit of Nigerian Lawyers, human rights lawyer Prof. Chidi Odinkalu (SAN) urged the bar and bench to dismantle colonial legacies still embedded in Nigeria’s legal framework.
“Though Nigeria is independent politically, we lack occupational independence,” Odinkalu said, adding that the country’s legal framework still bore the imprint of colonial intrusion.
He stressed the need to build an independent and credible judiciary as a core part of the decolonisation process.
On his part, Prof. Yusuf Ali (SAN) lamented Nigeria’s lack of a rallying point for unity, saying the only time citizens appeared united was during international football matches.
He urged citizens to confront the reality of systemic failures instead of romanticising the past, noting that the country still exhibited all the parameters of failure.
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