Prominent lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, has called on the Nigerian judiciary and politicians to take lessons from their counterparts in the United States.
Speaking on a Channels TV program on Monday, Falana highlighted how U.S. judges have acted independently to check executive overreach, referencing several instances where courts struck down executive orders signed by former President Donald Trump.
“At least five of those executive orders were overturned due to resistance from the judiciary,” he noted.
He urged Nigerian judges to foster public interest litigation, emphasizing that individuals and organizations should have the opportunity to challenge government policies when necessary.
“Our judges must encourage public interest litigation because there are citizens who may want to question government decisions that affect them,” Falana stated.
His remarks come amid ongoing debates about judicial independence and the role of courts in safeguarding democracy in Nigeria.
Falana said,
“Our lawyers judges must learn from what is going on in the United States of America. For the past two weeks or thereabouts, President Trump has come up with a lot of executive orders but the judiciary stood its ground.
“Not less than five of those executive orders have been struck down. In every society, public interest litigation must be encouraged.
“Not everyone feels like, I should go to court to challenge the actions of the government.
“Meanwhile, there are individuals and organizations that want to live under the rule of law. These people must be empowered by the judges,” Falana added.
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cc: Daily Post Ng
