CJN laments conflicting judgements by judicial officers at swearing-in of 22 Appeal Court justices 

 

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN), Honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on Wednesday July 10, swore-in  22 new Justices of Court of Appeal inside  the  main courtroom of the Supreme Court  Abuja.

Among the new Appeal Court Justices  are Justice Abdullah  Mohammad Liman and Justice (Dr) Nnamdi O. Dimgba who until now were Federal High Court judges at Kano and Lagos judicial divisions  respectively.

After the swearing-in of the judges into the Court of Appeal Bench, the CJN charged them to be mindful of the judgements they  deliver.

He decried  the excessive issuance of “frivolous’ interim orders from various courts, which he believes undermines the integrity of the judicial system.

The CJN expressed concern over what he described as conflicting and misleading judgements from courts of coordinate  jurisdiction in the country.

He disclosed  that the National Judicial Council (NJC), has initiated measures to hold accountable judges responsible for their unacceptable behavior, stressing that punitive actions will be taken  against judges involved in such misconduct.

Ariwoola stressed the importance of serving the Nigerian people and delivering fair judgments free from bias or ulterior motives.

At the event, Justice Ariwoola also administered the oath of office to 12 legal practitioners recently appointed as judges of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.

After administering the oath  of office to the new judicial officers, the CJN charged them  to uphold their oath of office.

He noted the unprecedented increase in litigation due to rising criminal activities and political matters and highlighted the responsibility of the judiciary in addressing these challenges.