By Robert Egbe

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Bolaji Ayorinde has urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to suspend the 2021 annual court vacation to save the justice system.

Ayorinde, in a June 15 letter, argued that the suspension is necessary in the interest of suspects languishing in detention and awaiting trial.

He reasoned further that many cases had suffered inordinate delay due to #EndSARS protests, Covid-19 pandemic and the recent Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) strike.

Copies of the letter were sent to the President of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, the President of the National Industrial Court, and Chief Judges of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

According to him, judges are hardworking and patriotic and as such, there is a need for the Judiciary to make a bold statement to rekindle the hope of the common man, as well as renew investors’ confidence in Nigeria as an investment destination.

‘’I therefore most humbly, urge Your Lordship and all other heads of Courts in Nigeria to, in the interest of persons who are languishing in detention and awaiting trial and those that their cases have suffered inordinate delay due to extraneous factors aforementioned, kindly direct a suspension of 2021 Annual Judges Vacation in order to save our justice system’’.

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‘’My Lord, such a direction will no doubt portray the Judiciary as a most responsive institution and third arm of government that is the last hope of the common man. Such a direction will also definitely and substantially clear most of the backlog of cases that have suffered delays in our Courts thereby making our Courts “fit for the purpose’ again,” Ayorinde said.

Highlighting events that truncated judicial activities in Nigeria, Ayorinde stated that following the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) and in tandem with COVID-19 Regulations 2020, the CJN in Circular No. NJC/CIR/HOC/11/631 dated March 23, 2020, directed all Heads of Courts to suspend Court sittings for an initial period of two weeks from March 24, 2020.

He added that before the expiration of the said two weeks the suspension was further extended until further notice adding that the courts barely resumed when the #ENDSARS protest forced another lockdown of our Courts.

‘’My Lord will recall too that, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) had on April 6, 2021, ordered its members across the Federation to shut all Courts in the Country to press home its demand for implementation of financial autonomy for the Judiciary. The said strike action which has just been temporarily called off had paralyzed judicial activities across the federation for over two months.’’

The annual vacation of judges usually commences in July and ends in September.