According to Punch, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, has accused lawyers of hindering efforts of cleansing the bench of its rot.
Media aide to the CJN, Mr. Ahuraka Isah, quoted Justice Mohammed, as speaking when a delegation of the Nigerian Bar Association led by its President, Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN), paid him a visit at his office in Abuja on Friday.
Two other Justices of the Supreme Court, Justices Tanko Ibrahim, John Fabiyi, and Bode Rhodes-Vivour, were also said to be in attendance during the visit.
The CJN, who was said to have earlier vowed to continue from where his predecessor, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, stopped in the cleansing of the judiciary, identified lawyers’ double standards as an impediment to the efforts aimed at ridding the bench of corruption.
The CJN said, “I want to use this opportunity to urge the bar to put the interest of the system far and above the individuals.
“Imagine this scenario; you in the bar decry the rots on the bench, calling for disciplining and cleansing of the judiciary by weeding out the bad eggs on the bench.
“Yet, you are the first to jump to the court to seek restraining order on the National Judicial Council to stop it from the investigation and trial of a judge based on a petition brought against the judge before the council. How then is the principle of fair hearing sustained?”
Justice Mohammed also charged lawyers with the task of finding solution to the crisis in Rivers State judiciary, which had kept courts in the state under lock and key for many months.
He said, “The perpetual closure of court in River State is unacceptable. NJC has never said governors can’t appoint State Chief Judges.
“But the violation of the principle of checks and balances by the state governor in Rivers State as enshrined in the constitution for the appointment and disciplining of erring Chief Judges or judges is equally unacceptable. Seniority is part and parcel of the legal profession.
“To just appoint a Chief Judge from any position without recourse to seniority arrangement is an invitation to anarchy in the system just as we are now witnessing in Rivers State.”
In response, the NBA President said he had personally met with the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, over the issue.
Alegeh said Amaechi was disposed to a consensus candidate on the condition that the NJC would withdraw its letter appointing Justice Daisy Okocha as administrative judge of the state.
Credit: Punch