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The Senate has advised critics to stop misinterpreting laws passed by the National Assembly.
The upper legislative chamber argued that because of such misinterpretations, critics of the National Assembly have constituted themselves into road side appeal and Supreme court.
Making the submission remark on Tuesday at public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on three separate bills, Senate President, Bukola Saraki said it was unfortunate that such critics are never present at legislative forum for the needed cross fertilisation of ideas.
Represented by the Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, Saraki pointed that the Senate had no particular positions on the bills namely: the Legal Practioners Act (Amendment) Bill, Data Protection Bill and Facial Mutilation Prohibition Bill.
“No particular position has been taken in respect of these bills the reason why relevant stakeholders in their areas of focus were invited but unfortunately ardent critics of laws made by us are not here to make their inputs.
“These critics are no doubt, roadside Appeal and Supreme Courts misinterpreting our laws and by extension, turning the decision of the National Assembly upside down as being experienced with one of the bills recently passed and being litigated against.
“Our appeal to these critics is to stop misinterpreting our laws and make themselves available at the public hearing stages of passing such laws,” he said, while referring to last ruling by a Federal High Court, restraining the National Assembly from overriding President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
In his presentation, the President, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), said proposed amendments to the act were necessary since some of the laws were enacted in 1962.
“The move by the Senate to amend the Legal Practitioners Act through an amendment bill is a welcome development because to us, that would help in bringing the needed reforms for the review of regulation of legal profession “, he said.
However, while the Bill on Data Protection also had diverse opinions from stakeholders, the Facial Mutilation sponsored by Dino Melaye, was overwhelmingly kicked against.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
