The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the Judiciary to justify the recent improvement in its remuneration.
The NBA stated in a statement issued by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Yakubu Maikyau, the president of the association, that the judiciary needs to make a concerted effort to win back the trust of the public and win back the hearts of Nigerians.
The NBA praised the efforts made to pass the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc.) Act, 2024, but it also urged the National and State Houses of Assembly to give careful thought to include magistrates in the Constitution’s definition of judicial officers during their current constitutional review.
“The Magistrates across the Country are responsible for the handling of most criminal matters at the lower level of the society, and the institution of the magistracy across the states needs to be strengthened and better funded, to help improve grassroots justice delivery and curb the menace of criminal activities in our society”.
Also, other Judiciary staff; Registrars, Legal Assistants and other court workers, must similarly be catered for, if the improvement of the welfare of Justices and Judges is to make any meaningful impact on the overall justice delivery process in the courts”.
The association says going forward, the focus of the NBA will be on identifying and responding to issues that are fundamental to the continued strengthening of the judiciary.
These include matters of appointment, discipline and elevation of judicial officers. The need to strengthen judicial oversight bodies is no less important.
The NBA President also expressed confidence that his successor, Afam Osigwe, the NBA president-elect, will prioritise the issues when he takes office later this month.
