President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, expressed concern over the slow dispensation of justice in the country, stressing that “if the judiciary must continue to enjoy the confidence of the populace, the wheel of justice must move more speedily and must be seen to be doing so, without any compromises.”
The president who stated this at the 2011 Biennial All Nigeria Judges’ Conference that commenced in Abuja, maintained that, “fairness, impartiality, integrity and incorruptibility are values that the judiciary is expected to hold dear and individual judges must take seriously.”
According to him, “indeed, the theme of this year’s conference: ‘Towards the Sustenance of Judicial Ethics in Nigeria,’ could not have come at a better time. The theme, I dare say, aptly tallies with our desire to effect the transformation of the entire polity.
From the right, President Goodluck Jonathan; Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher and the Former CJN, Justice Alfa Belgore during the opening of the 2011 All Nigeria Judges' Conference at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja.
If our transformation agenda is to succeed and the Nigerian Project is to be a reality, then the Judiciary must continue to sustain its ethics and discharge its constitutional role and responsibilities creditably and within the purview of the Constitution.
“I must state, for the records, that the Nigerian Judiciary has contributed immensely to the growth, development and continued unity of Nigeria as a country. Your Lordships have, at some of the most critical periods in our history as a nation, come to prove yourselves as the bridge and the unifying arm of government
Importance of Judiciary
“No one can deny the importance of the judiciary to the stability of our nation. As a government established on the foundation of the rule of law, we will continue to respect the independence of the Judiciary and provide you with all the support you might need to carry out your duties.
“Our administration is, however, concerned about the slow dispensation of Justice in several cases. We have hundreds of our people spending long periods in jail just waiting for their trials to commence. This means that accused persons are consigned to a life of misery and pain even before their guilt or innocence is established. Besides, justice is unwittingly delayed. If the judiciary must continue to enjoy the confidence of the populace, the wheel of justice must move more speedily and must be seen to be doing so, without any compromises.
“I urge you all to continue to remain focussed, undaunted and continue to hold firmly to your oath of office. Remember at all times that whenever you decide cases, you are by that singular act putting yourselves on trial before the public.”
“My Lords, let me commend you to the wise words of encouragement of Hon. Justice (Sir) Gerrard Brennam, the Chief Justice of Australia, as he then was, as follows: “A Judge’s role is to serve the community in the pivotal role of administering justice according to law. Your office gives you that opportunity and that is a privilege. Your office requires you to serve and that is a duty. No doubt there were a number of other reasons, personal and professional for accepting appointment, but the judge will not succeed and will not find satisfaction in his or her duties unless there is continued realization of the importance of the community service that is rendered”.
Meantime, the CJN, Justice Musdapher in his own speech, said the Nigerian Judiciary was in urgent need of radical surgical reform, noting that, “the importance of a credible, efficient, independent, impartial, honest and virile judiciary in building a stable democratic nation cannot be overemphasised.”
He said: “personal bias or prejudice on the part of a judge is improper and should not be tolerated. Antagonism or favouritism directed personally at a party by a judge indicates that the judge does not have the requisite degree of impartiality to decide a case fairly”
“Another aspect of this mandate is that judges must not lend the prestige of their offices to advance the private interests of others. The office was created for the purpose of administering justice; it was not intended to be used to support the private ventures of others. Accordingly, it is a gross violation for a judge to use the prestige of his office to do favours for friends or relatives. For example, it is improper for a judge to intercede in criminal proceedings before another judge on behalf of a friend or relative.”
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com