Osinbajo Advocates Stricter Sanctions For Court Adjournments, Delays

Osinbajo Advocates Stricter Sanctions For Court Adjournments, Delays
Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has asked for stricter sanctions for delays and adjournments in Nigerian court cases, calling for “a more intentional regime for the award of adverse and wasted costs.”

This is because, as he stated, there is no bigger waste of government cash than having a planned case adjourned.

Mr. Bankole Aluko, a prominent legal practitioner, was honored with a 20th year memorial anniversary symposium on Friday evening, with the theme “Administration of Justice: the Ideal Standard, the Nigeria Reality, and Our Potential.”

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement he signed on Saturday titled ‘Reform work in progress, expect real justice system changes, Osinbajo assures.’

Also Read: Judiciary, Sustaining Pillar Of Democracy – Osinbajo

He expressed that addressing delay of justice delivery should involve imposing sanctions by a more intentional regime for the award of adverse and wasted costs.

He argued that “The court is a taxpayer-funded public resource. The wasting or abuse of its finite time and resources without strict consequence will eventually discredit the system.

“Adverse costs are paid to the successful party in a civil case and wasted costs are directed against legal practitioners for poor professional standards in the conduct of a case.

“Severe costs should attend adjournments, there is no greater waste of taxpayer’s funds than for a scheduled case to have to be adjourned. It is only heavy costs that will discourage this malfeasance.”