by Taiye Agbaje
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every sector of the country’s economy, including the justice sector.
Since the first confirmed case on Feb. 27, 2020, in Lagos, with the attendant lockdown that led to loss of jobs, closure of many businesses, inflation, recession, among others, the Federal Government had not relented in its effort at curbing its spread.
Of course, the judiciary also suffered from its unique share of the effects of global outbreak with limited hearings, long adjournments, restricted access to the courtrooms, becoming the order of the day.
The development slowed down the business of the courts as many cases were delayed due to the long adjournments necessitated by the lockdown.