By Dele Ogbodo
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen on Monday described a corrupt judge as not only a disgrace to the judiciary
but a disaster to any nation.
The CJN while speaking on the need for judicial officers to always live above board, noted that corruption should goes beyond the act of bribe taking but every other action a judge takes to pervert justice.
Onnoghen made the disclosure at the 2018 Refresher Course for Judges and Kadis, held at the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja.
He said: “You all present here will agree with me that a corrupt Judge is not only a disgrace to the Bench and the noble profession, but also a disaster to the course of justice and the nation.
“I must not fail to emphasis here that my definition of corruption is not limited to bribe-taking, but includes the giving of judgements or orders based on any consideration other than legal merit.”
While noting that the NJC through its new reforms has commenced the process of ridding the judiciary of bad eggs, the CJN, stated that the prestige of the Judiciary is an essential part of Nigeria’s system of government where the judiciary functions independently.
He stated that part of the reforms he initiated were aimed at tackling the worrisome issue of delay in justice delivery in the country, adding that Nigeria would soon begin to reap its fruits.
According to him, the efforts of the Judicial Council to rid the judiciary of questionable characters shall yield results, stressing that the designation of special courts to handle corruption cases is also a step in the right direction as lingering corruption cases will be expeditiously dispensed with.
“The National Judicial Council however, will continually ensure, through rigorous screening and painstaking appointment procedures, that the best materials, in terms of learning and character, get appointed to the Bench.” he added.
Onnoghen, used the occasion to call on various governments, particularly at the state level to take the issue of funding seriously to ensure success of the reforms in the sector.
The Judiciary at the federal level, he added enjoys full financial independence, the same cannot be said of the state judiciaries.
He advocated that it has become imperative that the provisions of the 1999 constitution be duly amended to solve problems of State judiciaries. It is my hope that within the limits of our limited resources, the judiciary will continuously strive to achieve its constitutional mandate, he said.
The Administrator of the NJI, Justice R.P.I. Bozimo, in her welcome address said “Enhancing the Quality of Judicial Services” which is thus year’s theme was apt, saying that it strives to reposition the Nigerian Judiciary to effectively perform its statutory role and improve on the services rendered to litigants and the public at large.
She said: “My lords, in order to remain relevant in this ever evolving judicial landscape, the courts must not only be seen to be just, but must provide quality judicial services. In this regard, we must not fail in ensuring that the common man can approach the courts with confidence knowing that access to justice is for all citizens.”