Now, I know why a typical Nigerian high court judge looks older than their age and rarely lives past the age of 70. They have to write everything by hand because they have no court reporter. They also perform the role of a one-man jury on the same case they preside over. And finally, they have to single-handily deliberate, reach a decisions and pass sentences. And, right or wrong, a Nigerian judge will live with his/her conscience for the rest of their life.
On the other hand, their American counterparts only have to preside over a case. A court reporter takes everything down. And it's the jurors who deliberate and decide the case. Right or wrong, it's the members of the jury who will live or wrestle with their individual conscience for the rest of their lives. The judge will never lose any sleep. Paradoxically though, there is too much room left open for a Nigerian judge to be corrupt. This is because he/she has to play the role of jury and judge. I'll rather have the American legal system any time!
2 comments:
What is the impact on such and that which is related, to the collapse of Common Law in Nigeria?
Actually, Common Law was introduced to the Nigerian legal system by the British colonists in the middle 19th Century merely for administrative convenience. This was due to the unavailability of written records in the colony prior to the advent of the English people.
Since the establishment of western education, the said common law has gradually disappeared. And this, in itself, has been a blessing in disguise in view of the prevalence of large-scale corruption in that part of the world.
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