Ise-Oluwa Ige
6 January 2009
Lagos — The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mike Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, yesterday said that the Nigerian laws are no longer in tune with modern reality, saying there is need to urgently reform them.
The chief law officer of the Federation made the remark yesterday in his office at the inauguration of a four-member Nigerian Law Reform Commission headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Umaru Kalgo.
Aondoakaa who said that the commission is a very important creation of the constitution added that Yar'Adua government is seriously determined to reform the laws in line with the trends in the modern world.
He specifically listed areas of the nation's statutes which need urgent reform to include law on investment, land, economic growth, criminal law and many others obsolete aspects of the nation's statutes.
Beside Justice Kalgo, other members of the committee inaugurated yesterday are Professor Cyprian Okonkwo, Rowland Ewubare and Kefas Magaji.
Andoakaa (SAN) said the chairman of the commission has the status of the justice of the Supreme Court and members are of the same rank with the justices of the court of appeal.
Responding on behalf of other members, the chairman said that the commission was established in 1979 with the main function of undertaking the progressive development and reform of substantive and procedural law in Nigeria.
He said that the law reform should be done by way of codification, elimination of anomalous or obsolete laws and general simplification of the law in accordance with general directions issued by the government from time to time.
"In accordance with the provisions of the law, the commission shall exercise these functions by keeping under review all federal laws with a view to ensuring their systematic and progressive development and reform in consonance with the prevailing norms of the Nigerian society."
He added that the commission also has the power to consider proposals for the reform of state laws from any state consultation with the AGF.
Talking about the on-going discussion about the constitutional and electoral reform, the chairman said that the commission is fully ready to look into those important issues.
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