Public Interest Litigation Now Central to Justice, Says NJI Administrator at NJI–SERAP workshop
The Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Hon. Justice Babatunde Adejumo, has emphasized that Public Interest Litigation (PIL), once considered marginal to traditional adjudication, has now become a vital instrument for confronting governance failures, enforcing socio‑economic rights, and ensuring that public authority is exercised within the bounds of legality, transparency, and accountability.
Delivering his welcome address at an interactive workshop with Honourable Judges of the Federal High Court on “Using Public Interest as a Tool for Promoting Human Rights and Social Justice”—organized by the NJI in collaboration with the Socio‑Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)—Justice Adejumo described the programme as a judicial education and engagement forum. He noted that it reflects the Institute’s enduring commitment to strengthening judicial capacity in areas of law that are increasingly central to democratic governance and the protection of public interest.
He further observed that the participation of Federal High Court Judges underscores the judiciary’s collective resolve to remain responsive to the evolving demands of justice in a constitutional democracy. At the same time, he cautioned that the growing use of PIL raises complex issues of judicial restraint, separation of powers, evidentiary standards, and the proper limits of judicial intervention in policy matters. According to him, courts must remain mindful of how judicial reasoning in such cases affects public confidence, institutional legitimacy, and governance outcomes.
Justice Adejumo urged the judges to approach the workshop with openness and intellectual curiosity, while expressing deep appreciation to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the NJI Board of Governors, Hon. Justice K.M.O. Kekere‑Ekun, GCON, FNJI, and members of the Education Committee for their steadfast support of judicial education in Nigeria.
In his keynote address, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John Tsoho, stressed that Public Interest Litigation often provides the only avenue for holding the machinery of state accountable. He warned that “justice delayed in public interest matters is justice denied to millions of people.”
Justice Tsoho reiterated the Court’s commitment to prioritizing PIL cases to ensure that judgments have real‑time impact. He commended the NJI and SERAP for their collaboration, noting that the judiciary does not operate in isolation. He emphasized that courts rely on the intellectual rigor and investigative courage of civil society to expose injustices hidden within the bureaucracy.
