Bayelsa State Governor, Douyi Diri has urged legal practitioners in Nigeria to refrain from making condemnatory statements on court judgments in the media, and putting a huge question mark on the integrity of the Nigerian judicial system.
He gave the charge at a ceremonial court session in Yenagoa, on Friday, to mark the commencement of the 2023-2024 Legal Year in the state.
Represented by his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Diri said the practice among lawyers to speak to the press after court judgments, often condemning such rulings, undermines the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary.
The Bayelsa Chief Executive, therefore, called on legal practitioners to stop what he called “the practice of law in the media”, noting that whatever they use to qualify a court judgment, that is what the public would call it.
He stressed that there was no need for lawyers and their clients to make unguarded and disparaging comments about unfavourable court rulings as they have opportunity for appeal up to the Supreme Court.
Senator Diri, however, called on members of the Bench to be above board in their judgments to protect the image of the judiciary as the hope of the common man.
A Statement from the Deputy Governor’s media aide, Mr Doubara Atasi, quoted him as saying the act destroys the notion of the Judiciary being the last hope of the common man.
He also noted that as a people and a country, everything necessary should be put in place to improve the dispensation of justice in the Nigerian justice system.
”The first people who give the impression that justice has been miscarried are lawyers. The lawyers are the first to come out of the court to address the press, condemning court judgments.
“Whatever you call the judgment that comes out of the court, that is exactly what the public ends up calling it. I really want us to caution ourselves. Let us stop the media practice of law in our country to safeguard the integrity of the justice system.
“We need, as a people and as a country, to see what we can do to improve on what we dispense out. And to that extent, I am talking to the judges and judicial officers that make up the bench”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Matilda Abrakasa Ayemieye, has said the state Judiciary during the preceding 2022/2023 legal year raked in N33,016,448.00 in revenue, while also disposing 2,575 cases.
“In the course of our operations in the outgone legal year, the total sum of N33,016,448.00 only, was generated as income accruing from filing fees, fines and forfeiture of bonds.
“As with the cases, the revenue for the year was slightly lower than last year due to the reasons already advanced. Without doubt, we expect to record an improvement this year.
“All we’ve achieved were possible because of the vision of the past leadership of the Judiciary and the unwavering support from the State Government, particularly the prosperity administration of our miracle Governor, Distinguished Senator Douye Diri.
“Our Mission in the last one year was to consolidate on the gains we have made and open up new frontiers. Specifically, we’ve commenced the accessibility project across the State. This project is to bring the speedy and effective dispensation of justice closer to the people of Bayelsa State.
“Efforts are currently ongoing to open all Courts outside Yenagoa to increase accessibility and reduce the cost of litigation. We’ve commenced work on the renovation of both the Magistrate and High Courts in Kaiama. Ogbia and Sagbama High Courts will follow in a matter of days.
“It is our hope that by the end of the current year, all Courts sitting outside their designated places of session would be fully relocated”, she said.
According to her, a total of 2,577 cases were pending at the commencement of the past year and were brought forward, while the total number of cases filed within the year under review was 2,834.
The total number of cases disposed of, he continued, were 2,575, noting also that total number of pending cases at the end of the year stood at 2,850, respectively.
The Chief Judge stressed that the figures given were slightly lower than those of the preceding year due to the flood break which spanned about two months in which courts were closed, and filing of cases and other activities were brought to a standstill.
She restated that the state’s judiciary look forward to recording a considerable improvement in the 2023/2024 legal year, expressing hope that floods and other intervening situations would not arise.
The Bayelsa State Chief Judge extolled the virtues of her immediate past predecessor, the late Justice Kate Abiri, nothing that the saddening events in the past weeks have made the state Judiciary under her leadership to settle for a low-key celebration for the legal year.
She also noted that the Judiciary her late predecessor handed over to her had a clearly defined vision and mission towards achieving the goal of building a world class Judiciary.
“The Judiciary that was handed over to me has a clearly defined vision and mission, with emphasis on speedy and effective dispensation of Justice.
“In pursuit of this goal, we have deployed technology, built physical infrastructure and improved on staff welfare in the past years. The Bayelsa State Judiciary is now a reference point in the use of the Court Recording System as well as the E-filing of cases in the entire country”, the CJ said.
Justice Ayemieye, who also spoke on challenges facing the state judiciary, noted that the greatest of all the factors inhibiting her effective operations was that of manpower deficit, calling on the State Governor to authorize the employment of some new staff for the state’s judiciary.
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Biriyai Dambo (SAN), promised his willingness towards a continued partnership with the State Judiciary for effective Justice delivery, saying he was sure things can only get better for the state Judiciary.
In the same vein, in a joint address by the Yenagoa and Sagbama branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), delivered by the Chairman of the Yenagoa Branch of the NBA, Barr. Somina Johnbull, the NBA condemned the recent trend in which members of the public tended to deploy the use of opinion poll and protest to intimidate Judges, and pre-empt the outcome of judgement in the nation.
They called on the Judiciary and all well-meaning citizens to uphold the Rule of law at all times through the appropriate institutions of the state to avoid chaos.
On his part, a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Mr Kemesuode Wordu (SAN), while speaking, advised young lawyers to be patient, hardworking and diligent.
He also implored older members of the Bench and Bar to take their healthcare seriously.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa
