Nigeria Moves to Establish Christian Courts, Mirroring Sharia System

Proposed Ecclesiastical Courts to Handle Christian Personal Law and Religious Disputes

The House of Representatives has advanced a bill to amend Nigeria’s Constitution, paving the way for the creation of Ecclesiastical Courts of Appeal at both the state and federal levels.

The bill, sponsored by Francis Waive, who represents Ughelli Udu, successfully passed its second reading on Tuesday. It seeks to establish a legal framework for adjudicating matters related to Christian personal law and other ecclesiastical issues, functioning alongside the country’s existing judicial system.

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A similar proposal was introduced in 2016 but stalled at the second reading. If enacted, the new law would amend Cap. C23 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, granting Ecclesiastical Courts the authority to settle disputes based on Christian religious doctrines for individuals and groups that voluntarily submit to its jurisdiction.

The move is seen as an effort to provide a Christian counterpart to the Islamic Sharia courts, which already operate in several northern states, handling matters of personal law for Muslims.