Remawa posted on January 05, 2009 13:11
The Nigeria Law Reform Commission has been inaugurated with a call to members to examine some of the country’s statute laws with a view to modifying them to meet the challenges of modern societies.
Inaugurating the Commission today in Abuja, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, said the Nigeria Law Reform Commission is an important organ of government, empowered by the constitution to modify, without anybody’s authority, laws that it considers obsolete, to conform with modern trends in legal system.
The Commission is headed by Justice Umaru Atu Kalgo (CON), a retired Justice of the Supreme Court and a trained legal draughtsman, one of the few in the country.
Other members of the Commission are Professor Cyprian Okonkwo (SAN), a well-known university teacher, author and expert in criminology; Mr. Kefas Magaji and Mr. Roland Ewubare, legal practitioners with long experience.
The Minister said Nigeria is faced with the challenge of forging a government that is based on rule of law, adding that those laws, however, must be in tandem with modern realities.
According to him, the Commission would look into investment laws, Land Reform laws, and laws that inhibit economic growth, among others.
The Attorney General described members of the Commission as men imbued with versatile legal erudition, and are well able to carry out these responsibilities.
In a remark, the chairman of the Commission, Justice Umaru Atu Kalgo (CON), expressed appreciation to President Yar’Adua for the appointment. He assured that they would carry out their duties with diligence and in accordance with law, adding that the Law Reform Commission is a very important institution in any country of the world where the rule of law applies.
According to him, the law establishing the Commission was promulgated in 1979 with the main function of “undertaking the progressive development and reform of substantive and procedural law applicable in Nigeria 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”.
He added that this major function encapsulates what the country needs at this moment.
He called for government cooperation in the provision of sufficient fund and conducive working environment to enable the Commission function effectively.