CJN Tasks Courts on Efficient Justice Delivery

• Harps on justice devoid of unnecessary technicalities

Alex Enumah

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, has called on courts in the country to ensure speedy and efficient delivery of justice in order to continue to sustain the hope of Nigerians by ensuring that peace and justice prevail in the society.

The CJN, who gave the charge on Tuesday, while declaring open the virtual workshop for Directors and Inspectors of Area, Sharia and Customary Courts in the country, however, harped on the need for justice devoid of unnecessary technicalities.

Justice Muhammad stated that since these courts heard a majority of cases at the grassroots, they were expected to be efficient and equitable in their delivery of justice, adding that the society looked up to the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.

“This assertion makes it mandatory on the part of the courts to carry out their duties diligently with a view to seeing that justice prevails in our society.

“Distinguished participants, it is in this light that you must be effective in your supervision and inspection of the Area/Sharia/Customary Courts as it will go a long way in building public confidence in our courts, fight corruption, laziness and other inadequacies in the judiciary,” he said.

To this end, the CJN emphasised the need for court staff to be guided by the Code of Conduct for employees in the discharge of their daily duties as well as public life.

While advising the directors and inspectors to be proactive and pay regular visits to the courts in order to observe the personnel and inspect facilities therein, he stressed that, “Your administrative and supervisory roles must and should be used to promote the purposes of ensuring substantial justice devoid of unnecessary technicalities”.

Earlier, the new Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Salisu Garba, emphasised the need for the administrators and inspectors to understand their roles so as to earn public trust, promote the authority of judicial powers and foster impartiality and independence of the judiciary.

His words: “To remain relevant in this ever-evolving space, where efficient justice delivery is sacrosanct to the overall existence of a harmonious society, it is pertinent that you must imbibe best practices in your supervisory roles. In line with the foregoing, I urge you all to adhere strictly to the dictates of your job schedule and prevent judges and staff of the courts from abuse of their discretionary powers”.

Justice Garba, however, warned that the supervisory powers of the directors and inspectors did not extend to reopening cases that had been heard and concluded, adding that the only option to any aggrieved litigants was to go on appeal.

The theme of the workshop, “Promoting Efficient Justice Delivery in the Lower Courts” was in line with the desire of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute to deepen the culture of quality justice delivery at all levels.