The Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN), Justice Kudirat KekereEkun, yesterday charged judges of lower courts to guard their integrity jealously to avoid compromising the standards of ethics and professionalism of the judiciary.
The CJN made the call in Abuja while inducting the newly appointed magistrates, judges of sharia, area and customary courts.
The induction was organised by the National Judicial Institute, (NJI). Justice Kekere-Ekun, who was represented by Justice Chidiebere Uwa of the Supreme Court, said that judicial independence was not just a constitutional imperative but the bedrock of public trust in the justice system.
“I also urge you to guard your integrity jealously, be vigilant against corruption in any guise and allow your conduct to reflect the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.
“Avoid perception of bias or undue interest in any matter before you, approach your duties with humility and a clear understanding of the immense trust placed in you by Nigerians,” the chief judge said.
The CJN, however, encouraged the newly inducted judges to seek counsel from their more experienced seniors but warned that at the end of the day, the decision made must be solely theirs.
According to her, equally important is the quality of your judicial decisions which requires not only a deep and sustained engagement with the law and precedent, but also an appreciation of the socio-economic context in which justice is sought.
She lamented the continued persistent delays in trial processes saying in spite of best efforts, they continued to hamper the effective administration of justice.
“Such delays risk eroding public confidence in the Judiciary, we must, therefore, redouble our efforts to adopt more efficient practices, and foster a judicial culture that values expediency without sacrificing fairness,” she said.
In his own address, the administrator of the institute, retired Justice Salisu Abdullahi told the judges that they held the profound potential to either strengthen or conversely, to inadvertently erode the public’s perception of our entire judiciary.
