The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice John Tsoho on Monday, charged Judges on the Bench of the Court to be steadfast and dispense justice without fear or favour.
Speaking at a special Court Session to mark the commencement of the 2023/2024 legal year and the golden jubilee celebration of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice Tsoho urged Judges to strive beyond suspicion and dispense justice with integrity, utmost competence, courage as well as speedy disposal of cases.
While pointing out that, the nation’s judiciary is on trial, Tsoho said Judges, as critical stakeholders in the judiciary, must rise in ensuring the independence and sacredness of the judiciary, which he described as the hallowed temple of justice.
The Federal High Court, he said, has had a significant influence on how the law is interpreted, how the legal system is shaped and how justice is dispensed and perceived and added that various Chief Judges of the Court have made a series of Rules, Practice Directions and innovations to guide practice and ensure speedy and quality administration of justice in the court.
One of such innovations he made when he assumed office was the setting up of a special task force to handle the influx of pre-election matters, which he said was a timely intervention that saved the country from a possible political collapse.
In his words, “The Federal High Court had been a beacon of hope for those seeking justice, a guardian of the constitution and a defender of the rule of law. It has evolved with the times, adapting to new legal challenges and complexities, and remains a symbol of integrity and impartiality”.
Within the last legal year, which closed in July 2023, Justice Tsoho said, a total of 15, 025 cases were filed, while 12, 870 of the cases were disposed of and added that, “When the leftover of 2, 155 cases are added to the total number of cases carried over from the previous year, being 142, 755, we have a total of 144, 910 cases pending at the end of the last legal year.
“This comprised of 42,784 civil cases, 36,061 criminal cases, 41,447 motions and 24,618 fundamental rights enforcement applications pending at the end of the last legal year”, he said.
In his speech, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) said, it is the responsibility of the judiciary to provide justice, which is the only thing that keeps the country together.
According to Maikyau, serious punitive actions should be taken against any person who speaks negatively about the judiciary, adding that, if few members of the Bench misconducted themselves, does not mean that the entire judiciary is corrupt.
He called on members of the Bar and the Bench to discharge their responsibilities professionally to keep the country together in peace.
Speaking on behalf of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN) told the Judges of the Federal High Court not to be scared of being dynamic adding that, Judges must be creative.
“We must stand up to do all it requires for Justice to be done in the country. We need to fast track for justice to be seen to have been done”, he added and expressed worry that civil matters suffer in court as a result of political matters which are given priority.
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