Osinbajo Calls for Overhaul of Nigeria’s Judiciary, Says Courts Must Prioritise Justice Over Technicalities
Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called for a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s legal and judicial philosophy, faulting what he described as the judiciary’s persistent tendency to elevate procedural technicalities above the pursuit of substantive justice.
Osinbajo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Professor of Law, made this known on Thursday in Ilorin, Kwara State, while delivering a keynote address at the second Professor Yusuf Ali Annual Lecture organised by the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, PulseNets reported.
He emphasised that the ultimate purpose of any justice system should be to serve the people and uphold fairness, not to glorify procedural rigidity or technical loopholes.
“True justice is not found in the form, but in the substance,” Osinbajo told PulseNets. “Sadly, many of our court decisions — even some from the Supreme Court — have become more about procedure than about the core issues of fairness and justice.”
According to the former Vice President, the Nigerian legal system must learn from other jurisdictions that have evolved beyond excessive proceduralism. He cited the example of English courts, from which Nigeria’s legal traditions originated, noting that they now allow amendments at any stage of proceedings to ensure justice is served.
PulseNets obtained from his remarks that Osinbajo believes Nigeria’s fixation on outdated legal technicalities not only delays justice but also erodes public confidence in the judiciary’s credibility.
“Our legal community—practitioners, scholars, and policymakers—must begin to think critically and independently,” he stated, urging a “decolonised approach to legal education, practice, and judicial reform.”
He further warned that a justice system obsessed with form over substance risks losing both relevance and moral authority in the eyes of the people.
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“A legal system that glorifies technicality over truth may win arguments, but it loses justice,” he added.
Osinbajo’s remarks come amid growing national debate on judicial reforms and the urgent need to align Nigeria’s legal system with global standards of fairness and efficiency.
