* Says position of decrease courts in justice system can’t be underestimated
Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on Monday assured magistrates and judges of the decrease courts of ongoing efforts at enhancing their welfare packages.
Ariwoola, who gave the reassurance on the opening ceremony of the 2024 Hybrid Refresher Course for Magistrates and Judges of the Decrease Courts in Abuja, recommended the judges for his or her efforts at justice supply, notably on the grassroots.
“My Lords, distinguished individuals, women and gents, whereas I’m not unmindful of the challenges confronted by the magistrates and the judges of the decrease courts, I want to seize this chance to supply assurances that proactive steps are being taken to ameliorate these difficulties and to enhance the general welfare of the judicial officers and workers of those courts since this invariably has an impression on the standard and tempo of their service supply,” he mentioned.
The CJN defined that the time period ‘decrease courts’, which is usually utilized in reference to the Magistracy, the Space Courts, the Customary Courts, in addition to the Sharia Courts, isn’t in any approach indicative of their relevance or their position within the judiciary.
“Relatively, this appellation is usually utilized in gentle of the truth that these courts are the proximate and supreme courts which are readily accessible to residents on the grassroots. This strategic positioning invariably offers the decrease courts a most important and all-important position within the justice system, one that can’t be underestimated.
“Moreover, being nearer to the bizarre individuals, who’re typically positioned in distant locations, the anxieties and expectations of the customers of those courts particularly as touching fast, environment friendly, non-technical and less expensive approaches to justice are issues which the judicial officers who man these courts should cope with every day.
“It’s due to this fact crucial that in dealing or relating with customers of their courts, magistrates and the judges of the decrease courts should act with candour, integrity and inside the confines of the regulation always with a purpose to bolster belief and confidence within the justice system,” he mentioned.
He due to this fact urged the individuals to commit themselves to attending all of the classes, take part actively and contribute meaningfully throughout discussions.
He additionally recommended the tireless efforts of the Administrator of the Nationwide Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Salisu Garba Abdullahi, and his workforce in making certain the group of this course, in addition to different programmes of the Institute.
Earlier, Justice Abdullahi in a welcome, disclosed that the programme was organized to offer individuals with a useful alternative to work together, share very important experiences, cross-fertilize concepts and to provide you with new methods and options vital for enhancing the standard of judicial providers on the decrease courts.
He mentioned that the theme of this yr’s convention, ‘Repositioning the Decrease Courts for Fast Dispensation of Justice’, seeks to attract the eye of individuals to key points and areas of substantive and procedural regulation, that may allow them discharge their duties extra successfully and effectively.
He due to this fact urged individuals to “take full benefit of all that might be shared in the midst of this engagement”.
