For over a month now, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria has been on strike. This has caused a complete closure of all courts throughout the country.
Unfortunately, this means that an already overburdened judicial system will be placed under further pressure when operations resume. There is currently no indication as to when the courts will re-open. Due to limited resources and a lack of funding, virtual hearings are, at this stage, not a viable option in Nigeria. However, in limited instances, certain judges have been delivering judgments virtually. That being said, these instances are few and far between.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad, met with the Minister of Labour and Employment on 18 May 2021 and urged members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria to end the strike. The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria is demanding that the judiciary gain financial independence from the executive and has repeatedly relayed that the strike will not end until its demand has been fulfilled. It is, therefore, unclear when the strike will end.
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