TRIAL DE NOVOAND ITS IMPACT ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL SAFEGUARD OF TRIAL WITHIN A REASONABLE IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Generally, inordinate and/or unreasonable delay in the administration of justice defeats the ends of justice, and in fact,  most  times,  it  occasions  miscarriage  of  justice  or  denial  of  justice.  Justice  delayed  is  justice  denied.  Little wonder  the  Constitution  of  the  Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria  1999  (as  amended)  in  its  section  36(1)  &  (4)  sets  up, among  others,  a  constitutional  safeguard  against  undue  and  or  unreasonable  delay  in  civil  proceedings  and criminal  proceedings  respectively.  Also,  the  injustice  of  undue  and  or  unreasonable  delay  in  election  matters  is curbed and cured under Section 285(6), (7) & (8) of the same Constitution. Thus, the extant Constitution of Nigeria makes  it  clear  that  trial  within  reasonable  time  is  part  and  parcel  of  the  constitutionally  guaranteed  fundamental right to fair hearing in Nigeria. Trial de novo is the trial/hearing of a case commenced afresh as if no trial had ever taken place previously in that case. This work interrogates the wide application of the principle of trial de novo and the impact thereof in civil proceedings in Nigeria vis-à-visthe constitutional element of trial within reasonable time. The  researcher  observed  that  de  novo  trials  somewhat  contribute  to inordinate  and/or  unreasonabledelays  in judicial proceedings especially civil proceedings and that such delays in the administration of justice might create occasion for loss of confidence in the administration of justice system and resort to self-help. This work recommends that reasonable timeframe be stipulated by the Constitution for the determination of the civil rights and obligations of litigants in Nigeria by courts and tribunals and that sufficient number of judicial officers be appointed to attend to [civil] cases with maximum dispatch