The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has bemoaned the conduct of some judges in the country.
She lamented that the conduct of some judges is giving the judicial arm of government a bad name.
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Mrs Kekere-Ekun stated this at a public discourse on: ‘Ethics, Morality, and The Law,’ organized by the Movement for Islamic Culture and Awareness, MICA, in Lagos on Saturday.
The event was organized to mark the 30th anniversary of the organization and the elevation of Justice Habeeb Adewale Abiru to the Supreme Court.
The CJN warned judges to remember that as individuals, they are accountable to themselves and to God.
She also lamented the impacts of controversial rulings, particularly from courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
She, however, said that despite these controversies, the Nigerian judiciary is fundamentally supported by judges of integrity.
“By and large, our judges are knowledgeable, upright, courageous, and hardworking…
“It is unfortunate that a few ones are giving us a bad name,” the CJN lamented.
She said: “The role of the legal practitioner within this framework merits particular attention. The lawyer, often seen as both antagonist and protagonist in the pursuit of justice, must navigate a terrain where law, ethics, and morality intersect.
“This dual role requires balancing the scriptures and the law with ethical constitutions, often containing moral and legal questions that may seem at odds.
“As a minister in the temple of justice, the lawyer’s commitment to justice involves upholding legal standards while advancing principles that follow society’s ethical expectations,” the CJN was quoted as saying.
In his remarks, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, enjoined Nigerian judges not to be swayed by favoritism and nepotism.
He declared that some judgments fly in the face of common sense.
He said: “You are the final judge, Supreme Court. Once the Supreme Court rules, there is no judgement apart from God’s judgement.
“There will be a day when God will ask: who will be your own advocate on that day? Who will come and be your lawyer? Who will be your senior advocate of Nigeria, your silk, in front of Allah, when he’s asking you why you ruled against what you know as a truth?
“There have been judgments that have been made that just fly in the face of common sense, and many of these judgments that we hear about happen because the judges decide that even though this is substantive justice, they are not going to go with it because of technicality.
“In recent times, we have seen that what really gets to people are the manner in which technicalities are relied on to support a particular cause, and this is particularly when there is strong political interest.
“I will not go into specifics, but I think we all are aware. I would urge that we look at that and go beyond the technicalities of the law and actually for substantive justice.”