A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mohammed Ndarani, says the appointment and swearing in of the new judges will alleviate delays in justice delivery in the country.
Ndarani said this on Thursday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN reports that 22 justices of the Court of Appeal, alongside 12 Judges of the High Court of The Federal Capital Territory, were sworn in on Wednesday.
He said that as a stakeholder in the legal jurisprudence of this country, the move was a very welcome development.
“There are a million and more cases begging to be tried, there are thousands of Nigerians seeking justice, there are hundreds of thousands of litigations lying moribund in courts.
“The swearing in of these legal umpires will alleviate the situation,’’ he said.
He said that there is a challenge of understaffed of judges in the Nigerian judicial system which has stalled or delayed so many cases.
“This, in my opinion, has negatively impacted the smooth administration of justice across the country.
“If you attend court sittings, you will find cause lists hosting 20 cases in a day. How do you expect the judges to put in their best and expeditiously decide these cases in record time?
“It is impracticable, and the resultant effect has always been the delay in passing judgments and justice delayed is justice denied.
The senior lawyer said that there are situations where the duration taken to try some cases is even more than the punishment to be imposed for such crimes.
“This is the helplessness of the Nigerian justice system, and you cannot possibly blame the judges because they have been doing their best.
“It is in the light of the foregoing that I am delighted at the additional Judges as a step in the right direction and a green light to the expeditious dispensation of justice for those who seek justice.
“It will not only remedy the challenge at hand but go a long way towards alleviating these challenges.
“I congratulate those sworn in today and urge them to live up to the expectations of their calling.
Ndarani urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) and all relevant stakeholders, to ensure that welfare of the newly sworn-in judicial officers and judicial officers at all levels, is well taken care of.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda in the Nigerian judiciary.
“I also commend all the heads of courts in Nigeria for ensuring this fantastic development in the Nigeria judicial sector,’’he said.
He equally canvassed the need for an independent and corruption-free Judiciary, to boost justice delivery.
“There is the need for a strong and independent judiciary, where court decisions are transparent, fair, timely and adhere to internationally recognised norms to enhance peace and unity in the country.
“Corruption impedes development and the efficient justice delivery in any society which negatively impacts the social well-being of the people.
“All stakeholders must work together harmoniously to eradicate corruption and corrupt practices from the judiciary sector,’’ he said.
