Many Magistrates’ Courtrooms Are Cramped, Poorly Ventilated – SAN

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Olusola Ojutalayo, has raised the alarm over the poor working conditions in many magistrates’ courts across Nigeria, describing their courtrooms as “cramped, hot and poorly ventilated, with inadequate seating, unreliable power supply and insufficient security.”

Ojutalayo said the deplorable conditions could undermine the effective administration of justice, urging governments and relevant judicial authorities to prioritise the welfare of magistrates and improve courtroom facilities.

He spoke while presenting a keynote address titled “The Future of the Nigerian Magistracy in an Evolving Justice Sector” at the 2026 National Convention of the Magistrates’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), held on Tuesday at the Judiciary Complex, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Tagged “The Gateway Convention,” the four-day convention was themed “Strengthening the Magistracy for Effective Justice Delivery Through Capacity Building and Innovation.”

In his presentation, Ojutalayo stressed that the physical environment in which magistrates work was directly connected to the quality of justice delivered to litigants.

“The physical environment is therefore part of the quality of justice, and not a matter of administration alone,” he said.

He noted that uncomfortable courtroom conditions could put pressure on magistrates to rush through cases, with potentially serious consequences for litigants and the public.

“Many magistrates’ courtrooms are cramped, hot and poorly ventilated, with inadequate seating, unreliable power supply and little security.

“A court in which everyone present is uncomfortable and anxious to leave is not one in which careful justice is easily done.

“Many magistrates will admit that the temptation to rush through a list, simply to escape an unbearable room, is real,” he said.

According to him, such circumstances could affect litigants’ constitutional right to a fair hearing, while the public’s right to attend court proceedings could also be undermined where courtrooms lacked sufficient space.

The senior lawyer identified inadequate funding, delayed welfare provisions, lack of official vehicles, heavy caseloads, outdated record-keeping systems and unclear promotion pathways as some of the challenges confronting the magistracy.

He also observed that delays in the administration of criminal justice were often caused by factors beyond the control of magistrates, including the failure to produce defendants in court, the absence of prosecutors and incomplete case files.

Ojutalayo warned that delays at the magistrates’ court level contributed to congestion in custodial centres, where awaiting-trial inmates constituted a substantial proportion of the population.

He said the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), designed to promote speedy trials through continuous proceedings and limits on adjournments, could only achieve their objectives if all institutions within the justice system worked together effectively.

“The reforms can only succeed if the whole chain keeps or maintains a consistent pace,” he said.

On the career progression of magistrates, Ojutalayo lamented that judicial officers entering the service often had no clearly defined or publicly available pathway to elevation to the High Court Bench.

He recommended that State Judicial Service Commissions and chief judges publish objective criteria for the promotion of serving magistrates and apply them consistently.

He also called for the creation of senior grades within the magistracy to ensure that a career on the lower bench could become a recognised and rewarding professional destination.

Citing Ogun State as an example of judicial leadership, Ojutalayo commended the Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, for her career progression from the magistracy to the High Court Bench and subsequently to the position of Chief Judge.

He noted that Dipeolu began her judicial career as a magistrate, was elevated to the High Court Bench in 1999 and was sworn in as Chief Judge of Ogun State in October 2018.

In her address, the Chief Judge of Ogun State urged magistrates across the country to prioritise professional development, competence and diligence rather than allow uncertainty over promotion to the High Court Bench to affect their performance.