The National Judicial Council [ NJC ] says the current inflation is affecting the administration of justice in the country.

Its Executive Secretary, Ahmed Saleh, while appearing yesterday before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to defend the council’s 2022 budget proposal, said galloping inflation had forced the judiciary to roll some of its projects in 2021 to the 2022 fiscal year.

He said the judiciary’s 2021 budget of N110bn had been implemented up to 70 per cent.

He said: “The statutory transfer for the year 2022 will be N120 billion. We are aware that this is possible because of your sustained campaign for the funding of the judiciary.

He also said, “Permit me at this point to make some observations regarding the prevailing economic situation in the country. In the year 2020 December, the exchange rate of Naira was N380 to $1 and the rate was N480 to $1 at the parallel market.

“So, given these indices and galloping inflation that the country is witnessing, particularly some of our budgetary provision that are foreign components, our performances were affected.

“Inflation was projected to be 11.95 per cent, but as of now, it is 17.0 per cent, so definitely all our projects in goods and services were affected.”

Earlier, the chairman of the committee, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti) had assured the judiciary of adequate funding.