Assam SAN Presses Akwa Ibom CJ on Customary Court of Appeal

Senior Advocate of Nigeria Chief Assam E. Assam, SAN, has renewed his call for the establishment and operationalisation of a Customary Court of Appeal in Akwa Ibom State.

Assam raised the issue in his address at the opening of the 2026 Legal Year in Uyo, where he argued that the court is necessary to deepen access to justice and strengthen the development of customary jurisprudence in the state.

He said the issue had been raised during the previous Legal Year and recalled a response attributed to the Chief Judge that he did not want to create a court whose head would later “fight” him.

Assam said institutional design should not be determined by fears about possible disagreements between office holders.

His argument is that judicial institutions belong to the public and should be created or strengthened on the basis of constitutional and justice-sector needs rather than personal relationships.

Customary law and access to justice

Customary Courts of Appeal play an important role in states where disputes involving customary law require specialised appellate treatment.

Such courts can help develop consistent jurisprudence in areas including family relations, land, succession and traditional legal systems.

Assam’s intervention therefore goes beyond administrative restructuring.

It raises questions about whether litigants in Akwa Ibom have adequate access to specialised appellate forums for customary-law disputes and whether the state’s current judicial structure fully reflects the needs of its population.

He also used the Legal Year occasion to address broader questions of religious liberty, justice administration and the responsibility of judicial leadership to build durable institutions.