Lagos State Government has clarified that the proposed amendment to the Magistrates’ Law currently before the state’s House of Assembly is not an executive bill, but a private member’s initiative aimed at addressing structural issues within the state’s justice system.

The state’s Attorney-General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), said the controversy surrounding the bill had made it necessary to set the record straight on its origin, purpose and policy context.

He said that contrary to public perception, the proposed amendment was not sponsored by his office but had been introduced independently and is undergoing legislative consideration by the Assembly.

According to him, the position of the Ministry of Justice is guided by a long-standing policy that aligns with the conditions of service of law officers in those Magistrates, a framework that has been in place in Lagos since 1997 following a government circular.

Pedro explained that such harmonisation is not unique to Lagos State, noting that states, including Abia, Kogi, Benue, Imo and Kwara, have enacted similar laws to ensure parity between law officers and Magistrates in terms of remuneration and service conditions.

He added that the proposed amendment should be viewed as a continuation of this established policy rather than the creation of new privileges for a specific group of officers.

The attorney-general also pointed to developments in Osun State, where legislation enacted in 2023 increased the retirement age of officers involved in the administration of justice, including state counsel and court registrars, to 65 years.

Pedro said the initiative was partly necessitated by the 2023 constitutional amendment that raised the retirement age of High Court judges from 65 to 70 years, saying that prior to the constitutional change, predictable vacancies existed on the High Court Bench, creating opportunities for the elevation of experienced Chief Magistrates and senior law officers.

However, the AG noted that the extension of the retirement age for High Court judges had reduced the frequency of such vacancies, thereby limiting career progression opportunities within the lower judiciary and the Ministry of Justice.

He said the proposed amendment seeks to address this imbalance by creating a more coherent career structure and ensuring that experienced officers are retained for a reasonable period.

The attorney-general, who stated that the reform is intended to promote fairness, enhance stability within the justice system and strengthen succession planning by allowing for mentorship and knowledge transfer, maintained that the legislative intervention, if passed, would contribute to the continued development of the justice system and ensure that the state benefits from the expertise of its most experienced judicial and legal officers. (Guardian)