Decisions by your Lordships are sometimes brazenly denigrated and attributed to ulterior and ill motives–and these on social and traditional media platforms. Veiled and sometimes open and, in all cases, audacious attempts are made to teleguide and program the decisions of Courts.
“These are very dangerous practices that destroy the independence of the judiciary and by extension the rule of law and indeed the fabric of our society. The society needs and can only survive if we have independent- minded Judges who are empowered to dispense justice to all manner of men, including government departments, without fear or favor. We can only survive as a nation if the independence and vibrancy of the judiciary, particularly, the non-interference with the thoughts and decision- making processes of your Lordships, are guaranteed and protected,” the president said.
According to Usoro, the society is diminished when Judges are robbed of their independent minds and thought processes and the confidence of the ordinary person in the judiciary is thereby diminished, if not destroyed. He stated that Self-help and anarchy ultimately become the available remedy.
“Of course, our economy suffers in the process. The investing public, both local and international lose confidence in our justice system consequent upon these denigrations of our judiciary and there follows a consequential down turn in our economy with the attendant fallout on the socioeconomic wellbeing of our people, he said.
In closing, the bar leader reiterated that the society and people are the ultimate losers when Judges are robbed of their independence, in thoughts and discretions and thus urged members of the bar and bench at the legal year opening ceremony to stand up and/or speak against tyranny.
“To stand up and speak out is what we all need, both the Bar and the Bench, in our present circumstances. My Lords have, at critical moments shown such outstanding courage even in the face of danger and our prayer is that such courage and grit should never depart from our Lordships.
“These are indeed moments that require courageous Judges with the candour and fortitude to speak truth to power, to borrow the hackneyed phrase, and to dispense justices to all manner of men without fear or favour, as demanded by your lordships’ Oaths of Office.”
He expressed confidence that the judges will continue to live up to the dictates of their oaths, even as the prayers and well wishes of the bar will continue to be with them.
In his remarks, the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Honourable Justice Tsoho, urged the Federal Government to appoint more judges to the Federal High Court.
Making a case for judges at the federal high court, the CJ disclosed that there were records to show that judges were over burdened with work in the last legal year.
“116,623 cases were pending at the high court, 16,144 filed in a quarter, while 12,692 were disposed off,” he revealed, whilst calling on the federal government to appoint more judicial officers to ease this burden.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, congratulated the Federal High Court for the speed at which it handled pre-election matters at the wake of the election.
He said, “This Court has set the records straight which helped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to effectively field the right candidates for the election and the efficient conduct of election processes.”
He however urged lawyers to cooperate with the Federal High Court in ensuring that the dignity, integrity and credibility of this Court is not put to ridicule,” adding that.
“We must collectively shun fraudulent practices and to render sound and unbiased advice to our clients based on laid down laws and not on sentiment. We should also not be seen encouraging our clients in a bit to ridicule this Court into doing the impossible.”
