Clarifying the Jurisdiction of National Industrial Court.

(From This Day (Nigeria) - AAGM)

Byline: Bamidele Aturu

The National Industrial Court hardly gets any meaningful public attention in spite of its importance to the Justice delivery system. BAMIDELE ATURU advocates the need to clarify its jurisdiction

The National Assembly took a wise decision to allow the judiciary subcommittee of the Constitution Review Committee hold a separate public hearing recently in Abuja. The decision was wise for a number of reasons. First. the judiciary as the third arm of government in its interpretative function helps to define the limits of the powers of the other two arms, the executive and the legislature, and thus help consolidate what has been colloquially referred to as our nascent democracy. This is one role that cannot be taken lightly for true democracy is incompatible with absolute powers and unlimited discretion. The fact that judicial officers have been regularly invited to intervene in political conflicts having constitutional implications underscores the pre-eminent status of the judiciary. Thus any attempt to consolidate civilian rule and democracy in Nigeria must begin with the reform of this important arm of government.

Second? it was really commendable that the committee invited judicial officers to participate formally at the forum. This would enable the committee have a first hand feel from the jurists themselves concerning their views on such vital issues as the jurisdiction of the various courts and how jurisdictional overlap and other problems can be constitutionally dealt with. It is against this background that one attempts to address the issue of the jurisdictional confusion militating against the proper …