Falana Tasks Lagos Legal Centre With Preserving Nigeria’s Legal History

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has called on the Lagos State Government to make its newly established Centre for Legal Study, Research and Training a repository of Nigeria’s legal history and a platform for promoting compliance with court judgments.

Falana made the call at the opening of the Centre in Alausa, Ikeja, where he stressed the need to preserve landmark judgments and ensure that the country’s legal history is not lost.

He cited the 1921 case of Amodu Tijani v Secretary, Southern Nigeria, which addressed indigenous proprietary and usufructuary rights, as an example of important legal decisions that should be preserved for future generations.

The senior advocate also urged the Centre to pay attention to customary courts, noting that reforms introduced since the return to democratic rule in 1999 had focused largely on superior courts, leaving customary courts without comparable attention.

He said the Centre should help deepen understanding of Nigeria’s legal system and strengthen respect for judicial decisions.

Falana’s call comes as Lagos State establishes the Centre as a hub for legal research, professional training, policy development and capacity building.

The Lagos State Government opened the Centre for Legal Study, Research and Training, describing it as a strategic investment to strengthen the justice system, develop legal expertise and prepare the state’s justice institutions for emerging challenges.

Established by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, the Centre is expected to serve as a hub for legal research, professional training, policy development and capacity building for practitioners and public officials in the justice sector.

Speaking at the official opening ceremony in Alausa, Ikeja, on Wednesday, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, described the facility as more than another government building, saying it represents a deliberate investment in knowledge, institutional excellence and the future of justice administration in Lagos State.

“There are occasions when we open a building or office. There are other occasions when we open a door to the future. Today, in Lagos, we are doing the latter — opening a door to the future,” Pedro said.

He described the Centre as the first of its kind within a Ministry of Justice in Nigeria, arguing that a justice system that intends to remain relevant and effective must continually educate, examine and reform itself.