The Statutory Role of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission in the Administration of Justice in Nigeria

Abstract

Law reforms within the legal system or in the administration of justice system is to improve the laws by making changes or corrections so that the laws will be in harmony with the constant demands of the time being and desired democratic norms. These goals can always be achieved by the way of systematic law reforms based on informed political, economic and social needs which reflects the moral values and aspirations of the people living in a global village. When the old law is reformed and then enacted into new one, it has become a social reality. This new law can be said to emanate from the people. Some said that new law reflects the spirit of the people (i.e. volkgeist). For smooth delivery of justice in the administration of justice system in Nigeria, the Nigerian Law Reform Commission has a great role to play and undertake the progressive development and reform of substantive and procedural law applicable in Nigeria by way of codification, elimination of anomalous or obsolete laws and general simplification of the law in accordance with general directions issued to it by the government from time to time or on its own initiatives to submit proposals for law reforms to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice for the onward submission to the National Assembly (i.e. Parliament) as executive bills for legislation. The Nigerian Law Reform Commission is poorly funded and under utilized to give its professional input in bills making by the Local Government Councils, state houses of Assembly and the National Assembly (i.e. Parliament).The number of the serving commissioners in the Nigerian Law Reform Commission is limited to four. As a commission of jurists this number should be increased by reforming the Nigerian Law Reform Commission Act 1979 to reflect a reasonable number of jurists to cover different branches of law, Sharia and other social sciences.