It’s unconstitutional to fine citizens who challenge illegal policies

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says it is unconstitutional to impose fines on “angry citizens” who challenge illegal policies of government.

In a statement on Sunday, Falana said no judge of the high court is empowered to fine litigants who have not been convicted for crimes.

The lawyer described the award of costs as a “renewed attack” on public interest litigation by judges.

“Specifically, the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009 have enjoined judges to encourage public interest litigation in promoting the human rights of Nigerian people. Ex abundanti cautela, the doctrine of locus standi has been abolished in the area of human rights by Order III of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009,” he said.

“Since access to court has been guaranteed by sections 6 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution and article 7 of the African Charter on Hunan and Peoples Rights Act, it is illegal and unconstitutional to impose fines on aggrieved citizens who approach the courts to challenge the illegal official policies or unconstitutuonal legislations under the current democratic dispensation.

“As far as the law stands no judge has the power to order a litigant to pay costs outside the ambit of  the Rules of the respective High Courts.”

Falana said fair hearing should be given to litigants and lawyers in the award of costs.

“I wish to state that no judge is empowered by the Constitution, High Court Law or Rules of Court to impose fines of N5 million or N10 million on a litigant who has not been tried and convicted for committing a criminal offence in Nigeria,” the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said.

“We  are therefore compelled to draw the attention of our judges to the case of Fawehinmi v Akilu (1997) NWLR (Pt 65) 979 wherein the Supreme Court overruled the  case of Abraham Adesanya v The President (1981) ANLR 1.

“Since the anachronistic doctrine has been set aside to pave way for public interest litigation our judges should desist from striking out or dismissing cases which are filed to challenge impunity of public officers in Nigeria.”