Nigeria, Oct. 22 -- In the words of late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa (CFR), justice must not be a blind goddess but "a human virtue" that sees all sides. Thus, the constitutional power of mercy ensures that the law does not become a machine of despair.

The Prerogative of Mercy is not merely as a constitutional clause, but as a profound moral, legal, and humanitarian safeguard designed to temper the rigidity of justice with the higher virtues of compassion and redemption. It is the living expression of our collective belief that justice without mercy is incomplete, and that the capacity to forgive and reform lies at the heart of human civilisation.

Mercy as a Constitutional Virtue

The Prerogative of Mercy, enshrined in the Constitution of ...