Osinbajo Calls for Legal Reform, Criticizes Nigerian Judiciary for Prioritizing Technicalities Over Justice

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has called for a fundamental reform of the country’s legal and judicial system, warning that the continued prioritization of procedural technicalities over substantive justice is undermining the core purpose of the judiciary.

Osinbajo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Professor of Law, made the remarks on Thursday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, during the second edition of the Professor Yusuf Ali Annual Lecture organized by Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete.

In his keynote address, Osinbajo emphasized that the true goal of any justice system should be to deliver fairness and uphold the rights of the people—not to rigidly follow procedures at the expense of justice.

“The essence of justice is not in the form but in the substance. Unfortunately, many of our court decisions, including some from the Supreme Court, tend to focus more on procedural matters than the actual issues at stake,” he said.

He pointed to more progressive legal systems around the world—particularly in England, from which Nigeria inherited much of its legal tradition—where courts now prioritize outcomes that ensure justice, even if that means allowing amendments at various stages of legal proceedings.

Osinbajo warned that Nigeria’s continued reliance on outdated legal formalism is eroding public confidence in the judiciary and slowing the delivery of justice.

“A justice system that continues to glorify form over substance risks losing both its relevance and its moral authority,” he said.

While acknowledging that Nigeria’s Supreme Court has occasionally adopted a more pragmatic approach, especially in electoral cases, Osinbajo noted that such flexibility is inconsistent and has not become the norm.

He called on legal professionals, academics, and policymakers to begin rethinking Nigeria’s legal education, legal practice, and justice administration through a more critical and decolonized lens. “We need a justice system that truly serves the people,” he concluded.