The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has faulted the work ethics of some judicial officers as he decried some questionable judgements delivered and the manner in which interlocutory orders are used.
This was as he avowed to bequeath a robust and prosperous Judiciary before his retirement in August of this year.
The CJN made this known as d deliver his keynote address on Monday at the Court of Appeal, Two-Day Workshop for the Review of the 2023 Election Petition Tribunals/Court and Appeals, held in Abuja.
The CJN fumed that the actions of some judicial officers tend to make a mockery of the country’s judicial system, and those found guilty of this will not be left unpunished.
He said, “We have been treated to an unpalatable cocktail of misleading and conflicting judgments as well as frivolous interlocutory orders emanating from courts of coordinate jurisdiction which attempt to make a mockery of our judicial system.
“This is largely an embarrassment to our jurisprudence, and we will not take it lying low. Punitive measures must be taken against such erring judges.”
The CJN noted that as he prepares for his retirement which is due in August, it is his “desire to bequeath a robust and prosperous Judiciary that will be the pride of not only Nigerians but the African continent.”
He warned judicial officers against conducts considered unbecoming of judicial officers.
He threatened that anyone who conducts themselves in this manner will not only be shown the way out but will equally be made to face the consequences.
The president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, emphasised that the exercise is important and that the job of the 2023 election tribunals judges was a difficult and challenging task.
She added that a huge number of Judges was taken out of the Judicial system and dedicated to the electoral process.
She said, “This workshop is important because we are dedicated, we are committed to ensuring that our electoral process is seamless.”
She called for corrections in the Nigerian constitution and the electoral laws.
She listed some areas that would require legislative review in preparation for the 2027 general elections, including sections 187 of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999, and sections 233, 246, and paragraph 285 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
“Section 285, I think, in the process, is rather poor draftsmanship or so.”
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, commended the review exercise as he noted that the judiciary plays a stabilizing role in the nation’s electoral process.
He added that “The Court of Appeal, in particular, plays a more pivotal role in shaping and strengthening our electoral jurisprudence through the exercise of its constitutional mandate in that regard.
He emphasised that the workshop is very vital to Nigeria’s democracy, as it offers a platform to review the strengths and challenges of judicial proceedings associated with the last electoral cycle.
He added that the “findings and recommendations will provide appropriate guidance for stakeholders going forward to the next electoral cycle.”
