Open Doors, Closed Cases: The Citizen’s Right To Observe The Courts
The Constitutional Backing
THE right to observe Nigerian court proceedings stems from the constitutional doctrine of open justice. Except where the law expressly restricts it, hearings are public events, accessible to citizens who wish to learn, monitor, or research judicial processes. This is the legal basis that allows journalists, law students, governance analysts, and ordinary citizens to attend hearings without needing a personal suit.
The Paradox of Openness
But 2025 investigations into Nigeria’s urbanisation and regulatory governance—especially in states like Lagos and Rivers—show a paradox: courts are open, but cases involving the most vulnerable Nigerians are not. Family and juvenile matters, sexual offence cases, and sensitive criminal proceedings are protected from public attendance through in-camera rules.
This is not a contradiction—it is a balance. The law protects the gallery from becoming a marketplace for sensitive testimony, even as it opens its doors for civic oversight in other matters.
Practical Barriers Still Persist
While citizens can attend hearings, investigations show practical hurdles remain:
-
poor public knowledge of court schedules,
-
overcrowded galleries in high-profile cases,
-
inadequate seating infrastructure,
-
inconsistent enforcement of etiquette rules, and
-
occasional hostility toward photography or live reporting without express permission.
Why Attendance Matters
Public attendance improves legal literacy, demystifies judicial processes, strengthens civic trust, and allows institutions to be monitored by society, not just by lawyers. It is a silent check on power.
Editorial Verdict
Yes, you can attend a courtroom without a suit, but you cannot attend without respect. The law opens its doors to citizens, but it closes its files to voyeurism. Observation is a right. Obstruction is a crime.
