Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Chief Justice Nigeria (CJN), has, once again, re-affirmed the judiciary’s resolve not to allow “sentiments of the mob” becloud judicial decisions.
Theliberationnews reported the backlash and accusations of bias against the judiciary following its most recent electoral rulings leading to the sacking of some governors and lawmakers.
The CJN made the declaration that judges must remain firm and undeterred at the 2023/2024 Legal Year special session opening and swearing-in ceremony of 58 newly conferred Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).
Justice Ariwoola said: “I expect every judicial officer to work very hard and also be very honest and courteous to the litigants, witnesses and members of the bar, and discharge all your judicial functions with all the humility at your command.
“Even while doing this, it is still necessary to have at the back of your minds that public opinions, sentiments or emotions can never take the place of the law in deciding the cases that come before you.
“The law remains the law, no matter whose interest is involved. In all we do, as interpreters of the law, we should endeavour to severe the strings of emotion from logic and assumption from fact.
“We should never be overwhelmed by the actions or loud voices of the mob or crowd and now begin to confuse law with sentiment or something else in deciding our cases.
“Nevertheless, unnecessary and unwarranted utterances are bound to embarrass not only others, but the Judge himself; thus what should be asked, should be asked, and what should not be asked, should be avoided.”
Ariwoola also pledged his commitment to safeguard the rule of law, the holistic independence of the judiciary and the trust and confidence of the public.
He informed the gathering that the apex court would soon enjoy its full complement of 21 justices to break the jinx of its inability to meet the country’s constitutional requirement in that regard.
The CJN also revealed that the efforts of the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO), is yielding the desired results. The committee was inaugurated in 2018 by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice W.S.A Onnoghen, to fast-track the trial of corruption and financial related crimes in the country. So far, according to the CJN, 10 convictions had been secured by the ICPC and 1,094 by the EFCC in the 2022/2023 period.
He further stated that the Supreme Court received 1,271 cases comprising motions and appeals between September 12, 2022 and July 11, 2023.
The apex court, out of these cases, successfully heard 388 political appeals, 215 criminal appeals and 464 civil appeals. The apex court also considered a total of 49 criminal motions, 153 civil motions, and 2 political motions.
Also within the same period, he disclosed that the apex court delivered a total of 251 judgments, out of which 125 were political appeals, 81 civil appeals and 45 criminal appeals with 91 rulings.
