The National Judicial Council (NJC) yesterday dismissed the reports that 34 lawyers failed an “integrity test” and dropped from consideration for appointment as judges of the Federal High Court. In a statement, the Council insisted that it had not concluded the fate of 62 lawyers seeking appointment as Federal High Court judges.

Insisting that the reports did not reflect what transpired in the judicial appointment process, the NJC explained that while some candidates were disqualified due to petitions against them, others failed to advance to the interview stage because they did not secure the required score.

It also clarified that all the qualification processes referred to in the earlier media report on judicial officers’ appointment took place at the level of the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC). The statement said: “The reports that 34 of the lawyers failed an integrity test and were dropped from consideration for appointment were unauthorised by the NJC.

“No decision or action has so far been taken by the Council in respect of the candidates concerned. “A few candidates were discontinued at the FJSC stage due to adverse findings arising from petitions submitted to the commission. It added: “Contrary to the impression conveyed by the media reports, the Council emphasizes that there is no stand-alone or newly introduced ‘integrity test’ whose failure automatically disqualified candidates en masse, as widely suggested.

“The judicial appointment process remains structured, merit-driven, and multi-layered, encompassing written examinations, perfor mance benchmarks, background verification, petition review where applicable, and interviews conducted strictly in accordance with established guidelines.”

The statement added: “Rather, the judicial appointment process remains structured, merit-based and multi-layered, involving written examinations, performance benchmarks, background checks, consideration of petitions where applicable, and interviews conducted in line with established guidelines.”