Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has publicly endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s proposal to increase the salaries and allowances of judicial office holders by 300 percent.
This endorsement was made during a one-day public hearing on a bill titled: “A Bill for an Act to Prescribe the Salaries and Allowances and Fringe Benefit of Judicial Office Holders in Nigeria and Related Matters, 2024,” organized by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters.
The hearing, chaired by Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC – Borno North), included participation from key stakeholders such as the National Judicial Council (NJC), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC).
Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), emphasized the critical need to improve the remuneration of judicial officers, noting that the current salary structure has been stagnant for over 16 years. He described this stagnation as unacceptable and a significant barrier to meaningful judicial reform.
“I wish to remark that the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) Bill 2024 is quite innovative,” Fagbemi stated. “Aside from the increment in the basic salary, it also took cognizance of certain peculiarities of the administrative structure and operation of the judiciary. This Bill will birth an appropriate and commensurate remuneration that will ensure judicial independence and integrity.”
Fagbemi highlighted that the current remuneration challenges are antithetical to promoting the rule of law and called for the Senate’s support in passing the bill. He also mentioned plans to establish a Working Group focused on reviewing the Constitution and other relevant laws to ensure the judiciary can meet the evolving justice needs of Nigerians.
“In consultation with the judiciary and other key stakeholders, we are also interested in ensuring a holistic review of our judicial system to respond to the justice needs of Nigeria,” Fagbemi added. “At the appropriate time, and I promise very soon, we will come up with proposals for Constitutional and Statutory reforms of the Judiciary in particular, and the Administration of the Justice System in general.”
The proposed salary increase aims to address historical inadequacies in judicial compensation, thereby fostering greater judicial independence and enhancing the integrity of the justice system in Nigeria.
