Innovative Features of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules of 2009: An Appraisal

This paper examined the innovations heralded by the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules of 2009 (2009 Rules) which replaced the 1979 Rules. It appraised the impediments which existed under the 1979 Rules and the manner the 2009 Rules have overcome or cured these impediments to herald a more efficacious and timeous rights enforcement regime in Nigeria. The paper also discussed some practical steps to the enforcement of fundamental rights in Nigerian courts. The authors adopted the analytical and comparative research approach wherein relevant statutes, rules, instruments and scholarly materials were assembled and analysed. The paper proffered recommendations that, if adopted, would engender a better fundamental rights enforcement dispensation in Nigeria.