A versatile legal icon Afe Babalola says he feels sorry for Nigerian judges who drive rickety cars, live in rented apartments of built-up areas.

Therefore, Mr Babalola advised federal and state governments to improve the current salaries paid to judicial officers, especially judges, to guarantee commitment and fairness in the handling of lawsuits.

The renowned lawyer stated this on Sunday in Ado Ekiti during the presentation of a book, ‘Testament of Judicial Pronouncements,’ as part of activities to mark the retirement of Ekiti Chief Judge, Ayo Daramola.

“Each time I see judges’ cars break down on the road due to the age of such cars, I feel sorry for the judiciary. There are situations where some of them don’t even have cars.

“Worse still, unlike the judges in those days who used to move around with their police orderlies into their gorgeous residences in the GRAs, many judicial officers now live in rented houses in built-up areas, and this is very risky,” said Mr Babalola.

According to him, the sorry state of the judges is a disincentive for senior advocates to join the bench.

He explained, “No successful senior advocates would abandon his lucrative practice to serve as a judge unless we address the issue of remuneration of judges.

“In the past, judges’ remuneration was at par with the remuneration of judges in England.

“Today, the salaries of Nigerian judges, when compared with the salaries of their counterparts in other countries, are, to say the least miserably low,” Mr Babalola said. (NAN)