INSTITUTIONALISING EDUTAINMENT AND ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION: ANALYSIS OF JUDGING MATTERS IN NIGERIA

This study examined Judging Matters as a media-mediated alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism in Nigeria, analysing its operational structure, dispute types, and legal status under the Arbitration and Mediation Act (AMA) 2023. Anchored on Access to Justice and Mediatisation theories, the study adopted a qualitative socio-legal design utilising documentary content analysis of 24 Season 1 cases alongside the Lagos State Small Claims Practice Direction 2023 and the AMA 2023. Descriptive statistics reveal that low-value financial disputes, debt recovery (29.2%, n=7) and service contract failures (20.8%, n=5), dominated the docket, constituting 50.0% (n=12) of all cases. Findings show that Judging Matters eliminates financial barriers by offering a zero-cost model that parallels the Small Claims Court’s 60-day expedited format. However, statutory matrix analysis indicates that while proceedings fulfill Section 30 fair hearing requirements, key prerequisites: written arbitration agreements (Section 2), signed awards (Section 47), and enforcement records (Section 57), remain unverified. The study concludes that televised adjudication democratises legal access, though its transformative potential requires aligning broadcast formats with strict statutory safeguards. It recommends that producers archive written arbitration agreements, if nothing of such presently exist, Lagos State Judiciary should create frameworks to enforce verified outcomes, and media organizations include on-air disclosures clarifying the legal status of broadcast decisions.