Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), Justice Ibrahim Auta has blamed the court’s inability to dispose of cases with dispatch on senior lawyers.
Justice Auta claimed that some senior lawyers were in the habit of going to any length to frustrate court proceedings once it suits their clients’ interest.
The Chief Judge spoke when a retiring judge of the court, Justice Benedicta Molokwu expressed fears that the frequency with which petitions were written against judges and the way some are eased out of service was capable of eroding the dignity associated with the office of a judge.
It was at a valedictory court session held in Lagos yesterday in honour Molokwu, who formally left the court’s service yesterday.
Justice Auta observed: ”Some lawyers are ready to do anything once they will be rewarded financially by their clients. There are some cases that should not even get to court, but lawyers will not advice their clients not to opt for litigation.
“I know some lawyers and I can mention names if you want me, who will always file objections upon objections, when they are defending any matter. So, I beg you lawyers to help us, the judges, to do our job.
We are ready to work, but we need your support,” Auta said.
He noted that it was only in the country that appeals, arising from rulings on interlocutory motions, are taken up to the Supreme Court, a practice, he said, slows down the wheel of justice.
Justice Auta urged lawyers to always realise that they are ministers in the temple of justice, whose actions should always aid the cause of justice and help judges dispose of cases speedily.
Justice Molokwu expressed regret that frivolous petitions were now being filed against judges, who end up being compulsorily retired, without given a right to fair hearing.
She warned that if the trend was not discouraged, it would place existing judges in an unsafe position and make it impossible to employ the services of new judges.
Justice Molokwu also called for enhanced security for judges to prevent them from falling victims to kidnappers. She regretted that kidnapping was gradually becoming a major security challenge in the country.
She suggested the appointment of new judges to replace retiring to ensure continuity in the justice dispensation process.
Representative of the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Emeka Ngige, (SAN), frowned at the attitude of some judges, whose courts, he said, were in the habit of not informing lawyers before hand, where the court decides not to sit.
Ngige argued that it was frustrating when senior members of the bar come to court in preparation for their cases and they are informed by the court clerks that the judge was either attending a conference, or will not be sitting.
