Eschew corruption in discharge of your duties, CJN urges judges

Judges in Nigeria has been urged by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, to avoid corruption in the discharge of their duties.

The CJN spoke on Monday during a virtual opening ceremony of the induction course for newly appointed judges and Kadis.

He told judges at the event organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI) that they can adjudicate on cases through online platforms.

“As judicial officers saddled with the responsibility of adjudicating on matters in the temple of justice, I must not fail to mention that your actions and inactions within and outside the court premises must conform to the dictates of the Code of Conduct for judicial officers.

“You are also bound by the provisions of the Code of Conduct for public officers as spelled out in the fifth schedule of the establishment and maintenance of a high standard of morality in the conduct of government business, and to ensure that the actions and behavior of public officers kowtow highest standards of public morality and accountability.

“Given the current international and national discourse bordering on COVID-19 that has brought lots of activities to its knee, you may be required at your various jurisdictions to adjudicate on matters through online platforms, while doing this, you must ensure you adhere to all laid down safety guidelines while ensuring that the wheel of justice must not grind to a halt,” the CJN said.

READ ALSO: We are suffocated with cases at Supreme Court – CJN

The CJN said that “persistent delays in the administration of justice, bias and wrong applications of laws” remained the criticism often leveled against Nigeria judiciary.

“These acts are often not to the delight of litigants and court users as they often frown at the way services are rendered. As such, a better understanding of the current trends in justice administration will help you appraise and curb the waste of judicial time and resources, thereby ensuring that justice delivery is efficient and proactive.

“Accordingly, while discharging your duties, it is important to note that all forms of gratification must not be associated with you. You must not be found wanting. Transparency, honesty and accountability must remain your watch word.

“I urge you therefore to eschew corruption in the discharge of your duties. You must also abreast yourself with relevant laws, maintain judicial authority in the courtroom, develop a simple style of judgement writing and optimize your time and resources”, he said.

Earlier in her welcome address, the administrator of the NJI, Justice Rosaline Bozimo (retd), introduced the theme of the induction course as ‘’Inculcating judicial excellence in the newly appointed judicial officers”.

According to her, the course was aimed at adequately equipping new judicial officers for the challenges on the higher bench regarding the task of adjudication and other ancillary issues.

She told the new judges, “Let me use this medium to caution you to refrain and spurn all forms of corrupt practices bearing in mind the provisions of the Code of Conduct for judicial officers and the oath of office which you have sworn to.

“It is my firm belief that you will continue to adhere to this admonition. In the same vein, this course will aid you in the proper application of the Code of Conduct for judicial officers in the discharge of your duties; and be assured that the institute will be more than willing to conduct workshops that will aid you in the discharge of your duties.”

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