FINALITY may not always be final. Nigeria’s Supreme Court needs to reflect on the idea of flexible finality, particularly in the light of the controversies that diminished its decisions in two recent cases.
Indeed, in one of the cases, a dissenting judgement by a dissenting justice showed the need for a review of the court’s position that its decisions are inflexibly final.
Importantly, Justice Centus Nweze said the apex court had the power to overrule itself “and has done so in the past.” According to him, “This court has powers to overrule itself and can revisit any decision not in accordance with justice.”
