A group of esteemed Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) have voiced their disapproval of the recent criticisms aimed at the judiciary.informationguidenigeria
In separate interviews with The PUNCH, these legal experts pointed out that such attacks are often instigated by politicians and lawyers who are unable to effectively present their cases in court.
One of the SANs, Kayode Ajulo, specifically highlighted the trend of increased scrutiny and criticism of the judiciary during election periods. He also addressed the notion that the judiciary is influenced by monetary considerations, countering this view by referencing the recent judgment on the naira redesign issue.
Ajulo argued that if the judiciary were indeed driven by financial incentives as suggested by some, the decision in the naira redesign case would have been different, thereby implying that the judiciary operates with a level of integrity and independence contrary to the claims of its critics.
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Ajulo said, “The court is about law. All over the world, the judiciary is being criticised. The criticism is higher in some places than others, and in Nigeria, it is higher during the election period. After the end of the election, no politician will say a word.
“After coming before them and they realise that they failed, that is when they complain to keep their followers in line, whereas they are the ones or their lawyers who did not do the right thing.
“During the naira redesign, if the judiciary likes money the way they have been portraying it, that was the best time to display that, but the judiciary stood by the law and the people.”
On his part, Yusuf Ali, SAN stated that those behind the attacks on the judiciary are those who have a score to settle with the arm of government.JAMB Portal
He noted that many of those making the allegations have no evidence to substantiate their claims.
Ali said, “People make allegations but when you ask them to provide evidence, then they won’t be able to. Some even make this allegation because they have an axe to grind with the judiciary. We should not forget that the judiciary is a human institution; to think they are angels, you will get it wrong.
“Having said that, there is no smoke without fire. You cannot sweep it under the carpet. The judiciary must have self-retrospection on why the allegations are increasing.”NYSC Portal
In his submission, Adegoke Rasheed, SAN, said following the attack on the judiciary, there was a need to probe some judges living above their means.
He said, “NJC needs to probe judges living luxurious lives. Some lawyers have been accused of facilitating bribes to corrupt judges. Also, politicians who agree to bribe a judge, whatever conduit they use, are equally liable. The giver and the taker are culpable.JAMB Result
“To sanitise the system, the remuneration of these judges must be reviewed. We need to remove what makes it tempting for judges to become desperate. Their remuneration is far below what is obtained in other cultures.
“The economy has nosedived; these are just people who have children to train in school, and they are not allowed to do other work than farming, but their workload cannot allow them to do that. It is also important that the integrity of an applicant for the bench must be considered.”
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