There will be no shortcut to justice, fairness in judiciary under my watch – CJN Ariwoola vows

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has asserted that there will be no shortcut to equity and fairness in the dispensation of justice under his watch even as he promised to promote the rule of law and protect the Judiciary.

He emphasized that there is no substitute to the rule of law in any society and called on all and sundry to do everything humanly possible to promote and protect the sanctity of the judiciary.

Justice Ariwoola spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the meeting of the Body of Attorneys General in Nigeria, with the theme ‘”Enhancing synergy between the Federal and States Government on the Administration of Justice in Nigeria.”

The CJN represented by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun said, “Judiciary under my watch will not sit by the sidelines and watch the temple of Justice and ministers of Justice being flagrantly chastised and wiped into silence .”

He expressed dissatisfaction with attacks on some courts’ facilities and warned that the courts should not be taken for granted.

“I wish to let whoever cares to listen know that nobody, no matter his or her position in society, should mistake our golden silence for weakness or vulnerability.

The earlier judicial officers and the courts are respected the better for us.”

Justice Ariwoola urged the Attorneys General to take a comprehensive approach to the effective and seamless administration of criminal justice and the implementation of the rule of law.

Similarly, the Attorney General of the Federation AGF and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has advocated for synergy with Attorneys General in States to ensure deepening of administration of justice in the country.

This, he noted, can be achieved through robust collaboration between States and the Federal Government in terms of prosecution and other means of combating insecurity.

Malami made the request on Tuesday in Abuja at the meeting of the Body of Attorneys General Nigeria, with the theme ‘Enhancing synergy between the Federal and States Government on the Administration of Justice in Nigeria.”

The AGF stressed that the fight against insecurity should not be left to the Federal Government alone, especially for offences falling within the jurisdiction of the States.

Malami noted that as Chief Law Officers, they occupy the status of stakeholders in the administration of both civil and criminal justice in Nigeria stressing the need to underplay the culture of mutual mistrust between the Federal and State Governments, in order to promote and enhance a symbiotic relationship between the Federal and State Governments.

“I challenge us also to focus on identifying areas of peer review and synergy in our legal system in terms of legislations, policies, procedures, capacity building, funding structures or facilities, among others, which can either be replicated or improved upon by us all.” Malami said.

The Justice Minister enumerated other areas of collaboration as “the domestication or review and enforcement of legislations such as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Child Rights Act, Sexual and Gender Based Violence among others.”

“The instant Conference should also afford us the opportunity to determine the milestone we have been able to cover on curbing Sexual and Gender Based Violence since our previous commitments were made in 2017. 13. In our quest to implement reforms in the administration of justice”.

The Chairman, Body of Attorneys General, Moyosore Onigbanjo SAN described the conference as an opportunity to resolve issues between State and the Federal as well as bring issues of the rule of law to the front banner.

Also, the President Nigerian Bar Association Yakubu Maikyau SAN urged the Attorneys General to promote the rule of law in order to prevent the society from anarchy.