A LEGAL APPRAISAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE PANELS AND TRIBUNALS IN JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Administrative panels and tribunals curb many administrative infractions such as corruption, lack of due process and administrative inefficiency. This paper discusses the evolution of administrative panels and tribunals in Nigeria in Nigeria and appraises their challenges in the administration of justice. Primary and secondary sources of information gathering were used for data collection, while contextual analysis was employed for data analysis. Statutes and regulations such as the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Act 1962 and Medical and Dental Disciplinary Act 1973 and the case law are primary sources while textbooks, journal articles, conference proceedings and the internet were the secondary sources. This paper argues that the evolution of the administrative tribunals and panels of inquiries was sequel to the inherited English legal system and that the development in Nigeria’s public service. Having identified their challenges, recommendations were made for a more efficient use of administrative adjudication in justice administration in Nigeria.