Is the Non-Justiciability of Economic and Socio-Cultural Rights in the Nigerian constitution Unassailable?  Re-Examining Judicial Bypass from the Lens of South African and Indian Experiences

Hemen Philip Faga; Francis Aloh; Uchechukwu Uguru

doi:10.25041/fiatjustisia.v14no3.1801

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25041/fiatjustisia.v14no3.1801

Abstract

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended (CFRN) recognizes the entitlement of every Nigerian within its borders to enjoy economic and socio-cultural (ESC) rights under Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy. However, the constitution seemingly renders these ESC rights non-justiciable or unenforceable. This paper examines the efforts of the Nigerian judiciary to bypass the non-Justiciability provision to enforce ESC rights in Nigeria. It mainly investigates the role of judicial decisions in other similar jurisdictions such as South Africa and India in shaping the jurisprudence of the enforcement of ESC rights in Nigeria. Therefore, the paper adopts the comparative method and recommends that both the Nigerian legislature and the judiciary should follow the example of enforcement of ESC rights in these other jurisdictions.

Keywords:

Justiciability, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,

References

A. Mc Chesney. Promotion, defending Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: A Handbook. Washington D.C. USA: American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2000.

AG of Ondo State v. AG Federation (2002) 9 NWLR, [Pt. 772], at 272.

An-Na’im, Abdullahi. Human Rights under African Constitutions: Realizing the Promise for Ourselves. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003.

Archbishop Anthony Okogie v. A.G. Lagos State (1981) 2 NCLR 337.

Babalola, A. Enforcement of Judgments. Lagos: AfeBabalola Publisher, 2003.

Beetham, D. Democracy and Human Rights. Malden USA: Blackwell Publisher Ltd, 2000.

Chief Gani Fawehinmi v. SaniAbacha (2000) NWLR (Pt. 660) 228.

Christiansen, E.C. “Adjudicating Non-Justiciable Rights: Socio-Economic Rights and the South African Constitutional Court”. Columbia Human Rights L. Rev 321, 38 (2007).

Circle of Rights, “Justiciability of ESC Rights – the Indian Experience” University of Minnesota, Human Rights Resource Centre, available at: http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/edumat/IHRIP/circle/justiciability.htm (retrieved 21 August 2019).

Coomans, F., Hoof, F.V., Arambulo, K., Smith, J. and Toebes, B. The Right to Complain about Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Utrecht: Netherlands Institute for Human Rights, 1995.

Craven, M. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: A perspective on its Development. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995.

Ebobrah, S.T. “The Future of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Litigation in Nigeria.” CALS, Review of Nigeria Law and Practice 1, No. 2 (2007).

Eide, A., Krause, C. and Rosas, A. Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Kluwer: Martin Nijhoff Publishers, 1995.

F.B.N. Plc v. T.S.A. Ind. Ltd (2010) 15 NWLR [Pt. 1216] 247 SC.

Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Alhaji Mika Anache& Others (2004) 14 WRN 1.

Francis Coralie Mullin v.The Administrator, Union Territory of Delhi (1981) 2 SCR 516.

Gauri, V. & Brinks, D.M. Courting Social Justice: Judicial Enforcement of Social and Economic Rights in the Developing World.UK: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Ghai, Y. & Cottrell, J. Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Practice: The Role of Judges in Implementing Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. London: Interights, 2004.

Government of Republic of South Africa v Irene Grootboom and Others 2001 (1) SA 46 (CC).

Igwe, O. W. “A Legal Assessment of the Positive Duties Imposed by Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Nigeria.” American International Journal of Social Science 3, No. 4 (2014).

International Commission of Jurists. Courts and the Legal Enforcement of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Comparative Experiences of Justiciability. Geneva: International Commission of Jurists, 2008.

Jo-Madugu, N. “Protection of Socio-economic Rights in Africa: A Comparative Study of the African Union and Selected Countries.” Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Faculty of Law, Tilburg University, (2017).

Jonah Gbemre v. Shell Petroleum Development Company (2005) AHRLR 151 (Ng HC 2005).

Jordan, Daci. “Justiciability of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.” Academicus–International Scientific Journal 9, (2016), https://doi.org/10.7336/academicus.2014.09.04.

National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality v. Minister of Home Affairs 2000 (2) SA 1 (CC).

Ogugu v. State, (1996) 6 NWLR[Pt. 316] 1.

Okeke, G. N., C. Okeke. “The Justiciability of the Non-Justiciable Constitutional Policy of Governance in Nigeria.” IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science 7, No. 1 (2013), https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-0760914.

Steiner, H. J. & Alston, P. International Human Rights in Context: Law, Politics, and Morals. UK: Oxford Fourth Cluster Reader, ERMA, 2003.

Uche, A. D. “Comparative Appraisal of the Protection and Enforcement of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Under the Law in South Africa, India and Nigeria.” Unpublished LL.M Dissertation, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu, (2013).