The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, has written to heads of various courts in the country to hear time-bound cases during the ongoing lockdown.

The AGF, in a statement, yesterday, maintained that speedy dispensation of justice, "is a cardinal principle of Justice Sector Reform of the present administration".

He urged all the heads of courts to ensure that "time-bound cases are treated with dispatch and accorded the required attention".

According to the statement by Malami's media aide, Dr. Umar Gwandu, the directive was communicated in a letter addressed to all heads of courts, dated April, 1, which conveyed the COVID- 19 regulation, 2020, of the Federal Government.

Malami said the directive by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Mohammad, of March 23, 2020, directing suspension of court sittings for an initial period of two weeks at the first instance, except in matters that are urgent, essential or time-bound according to extant laws, was in tandem with COVID-19 Regulations 2020, made pursuant to Quarantine Act 2004, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Vanguard

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