A retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Amina Adamu Augie, has raised the alarm over corruption in Nigeria’s judiciary, warning that the practice is eroding public confidence in the justice system and turning the courts into what she described as “market stalls.”
Augie said corruption involving some judges, lawyers and court officials had undermined the credibility of the legal profession and weakened the public’s faith in the courts as institutions expected to uphold fairness, impartiality and the rule of law.
The retired jurist spoke in Abuja during the 40th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Law School Class of 1986, popularly known as the Centennial Class, where she identified corruption, political interference, inadequate funding and delays in the administration of justice as major challenges confronting the judiciary.
She called for decisive disciplinary measures against legal practitioners found guilty of misconduct, insisting that no individual should be shielded from accountability because of seniority, influence or professional standing.
“The third, which I will not dress up, is corruption. Where it exists on the Bench, at the Bar, or in the Registry, it poisons everything by turning the one place that a citizen should find impartiality into one more market stall,” she said.
Augie, who taught at the Nigerian Law School before embarking on her judicial career, cautioned against condemning the entire judiciary because of the misconduct of a few practitioners.
She maintained that many judges and lawyers remained honest and hardworking despite operating under difficult conditions, including poor remuneration and institutional pressures.
However, she expressed concern that the conduct of some senior members of the legal profession had contributed significantly to the decline in public confidence in the justice system.
“Have we kept faith with them? In part, YES, in part, NO. Public trust has paid the price. The public today is quick to believe the worst of lawyers, and sorry to say, not always without cause,” she said.
“When a few senior members of the profession have been found to traffic in the corruption of justice, the damage is not to them alone; it stains the gown we all wear.”
The retired Supreme Court justice argued that restoring public confidence would require more than publicity campaigns or efforts to improve the judiciary’s image.
According to her, the legal profession must demonstrate its commitment to integrity by openly and fairly disciplining members found guilty of misconduct, irrespective of their positions.
“Restoring that trust is not a matter of better public relations. It is a matter of conduct and a profession willing to discipline its own, without fear or favour, no matter how senior the offender may be in the legal profession,” Augie said.
She also reminded lawyers that their professional responsibilities extended beyond representing clients, stressing that they owed a fundamental duty to the courts and the administration of justice.
Augie urged legal practitioners to uphold honesty, candour, respect for judicial authority and the rule of law, warning against attempts to manipulate proceedings, distort evidence, frustrate cases through unnecessary delays or obtain favourable judgments through improper influence.
Beyond professional misconduct, Augie identified inadequate funding as a major threat to judicial independence, arguing that courts could not function effectively when they depended on the executive for basic infrastructure, operational requirements and judges’ entitlements.
She said financial autonomy was essential to ensuring that judicial officers could discharge their responsibilities without undue pressure or interference.
“A Judiciary that must beg the executive for a Courtroom roof, vehicles, or even the Judges’ entitlements is not fully free; financial autonomy for the Courts is not a perk for Justices and Judges, but a guarantee for litigants,” she said.
The retired jurist stressed that the consequences of inadequate judicial funding extended beyond the welfare of judges, affecting the ability of ordinary Nigerians to obtain timely and impartial justice.
She called for reforms that would strengthen the judiciary’s institutional independence while ensuring that legal practitioners operated under conditions that discouraged corruption and other forms of professional misconduct.
Augie also criticised the prolonged delays and high costs associated with litigation in Nigeria, describing delay as a chronic problem that continues to undermine public confidence in the justice system.
Drawing from her experience on the Supreme Court bench, she said the apex court was burdened by an excessive volume of appeals, including disputes that, in her view, should ordinarily have been resolved by lower courts.
She recalled a case involving the burning of 12 goats that eventually reached the Supreme Court, highlighting what she considered the inappropriate use of the country’s highest court to resolve disputes that could be handled at lower judicial levels.
The former Supreme Court justice advocated constitutional amendments to restrict the categories of cases that could be appealed to the apex court.
Such reforms, she argued, would enable Supreme Court justices to concentrate on cases involving substantial constitutional questions, significant legal principles and issues of national importance.
She maintained that reducing the court’s workload would help improve the administration of justice and ensure that important cases received the attention they deserved.
The retired justice also condemned the failure of government authorities to comply with court orders, warning that such conduct weakened the authority of the judiciary and threatened the rule of law.
She cited the prolonged detention of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and Islamic Movement leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, despite judicial directives ordering their release.
According to her, the failure of public officials to comply with judicial decisions sends a dangerous signal that court orders can be disregarded by those in positions of authority.
She stressed that respect for court judgments was fundamental to the credibility of the judiciary and the protection of citizens’ rights.
Augie’s remarks underscored the need for government institutions and public officials to demonstrate the same commitment to the rule of law that they expect from ordinary citizens.
Reflecting on developments in Nigeria’s justice system over the past four decades, Augie acknowledged that the country had made some progress, particularly following its return to democratic governance in 1999.
However, she expressed disappointment that access to justice remained slow, expensive and beyond the reach of many Nigerians.
She also referenced Nigeria’s ranking of 120th out of 143 countries in the 2025 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, describing the position as an indication of the institutional weaknesses and persistent challenges confronting the country’s justice system.
The retired jurist called for comprehensive reforms to strengthen judicial independence, improve access to justice, modernise case management, reduce delays and restore ethical standards across the legal profession.
She urged members of the Nigerian Law School Class of 1986, many of whom have risen to senior positions in the judiciary, government and the legal profession, to use their influence to promote accountability and rebuild public confidence in the courts.
Augie said meaningful progress would depend on governments respecting judicial decisions, ensuring the timely enforcement of judgments and making justice affordable and accessible to ordinary citizens.
“If Governments obey the Courts, if its Judgments are enforced, if justice comes within a reasonable time and within reach of the poor, if the profession upholds its integrity and disciplines its own, Nigeria would be better positioned to secure its future,” she said.
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