The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Tanko Muhammad says the Judiciary will no longer condone indiscipline or allow any Judge to tarnish its image.
The CJN gave the warning on Monday in Abuja during a marathon meeting with seven invited state Chief Judges over conflicting exparte orders.
According to a statement by Mr Soji Oye, the Supreme Court Director of information, the meeting which commenced at 11 a.m. lasted until 5:30 p.m.
The meeting began with a one-on-one interaction with the CJs in this order:FCT, Abuja, Rivers State, Kebbi State Cross River State, Jigawa State Anambra State, and Imo State.
The Chief judges were separately questioned personally by the CJN for over an hour, before reading the riot act in a joint session with all of them.
He vowed to make an example with three out of the seven Judges, adding, “never shall we condone such acts”.
He said that the three Judges who granted conflicting exparte orders have been invited to appear before the National Judicial Council to show why disciplinary action should not be taken against them for granting the conflicting orders.
A visibly angry CJN was reported to have stated that “a damage to one jurisdiction is a damage to all.
“We must therefore put an end to indiscriminate granting of exparte orders, conflicting judgements or rulings occasioned by forum-shopping.
“Your job as Heads of Court is a sacred one, and it therefore includes you vicariously taking the sins of others.
“There must be an end to this nonsense. You shall henceforth take absolute charge in assigning cases or matters, especially political ones, personally”.
He warned the CJs to henceforth avoid unnecessary assumption of jurisdiction in matters with similar subject and parties already before another court.
” Protect the court from lawyers that are out for forum shopping and work in tandem with all their Judges to salvage the image of the Judiciary.
“Stop making newly appointed judicial officers vacation judges and assigning complex cases to inexperienced Judges,” he added.
Muhammad also revealed that all Heads of Courts will be invited to a meeting to re-emphasise the need for the judiciary to be circumspect on the issue of granting exparte orders and will also meet with the NBA Leadership on the issue.
He advised all Heads of Court to be current on developments in the polity and the Judgments delivered by courts of various jurisdictions, and to urgently issue practice directions to guide judges in their various courts to avoid giving conflicting decisions.
