Is it right for a judge hearing a case to ask lawyers arguing a case in his court to make their submissions because he wad in hurry to be part of a project commissioning? That is the argument that Mr Femi Falana presents in the piece below.
By Femi Falana
At the hearing of the case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party against the Independent National Electoral Commission, Social Democratic Party and its candidates contesting the 2023 general elections, the trial judge, Justice Stephen Daylop Pam
asked lawyers to be brief in their submissions as Judges were billed to attend the official commissioning of the Federal Judicial Service Commission Annex Building in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Mr. Femi Falana SAN defending the SDP candidates reacted to the information by calling for caution on the part of Nigerian judges and that the trial judge ought not to be present at the ceremony since it is a project of the state government under the control of the PDP, the Plaintiff in the case.
The PDP lawyer, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala SAN said that it is not unusual for Judges to attend projects being commissioned in any State by the nation’s Chief Justice. Falana said that he knows that the current Chief Justice, Justice Kayode Ariwoola will not ask Judges not to sit and dispense justice because of the commissioning of projects.
Mr. Falana recalled an incident in Lagos when a former military ruler, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) was paying official visit to Lagos State and the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice JIC Taylor was invited to the programme to receive the guest. Falana said that Justice Taylor turned down the invitation on the ground that he and his brother Judges were handing cases involving the federal military government headed by General Gowon.
Falana further disclosed that the then military governor of Lagos State had to apologise to the Chief Judge and his brother Judges for the official error.
At that juncture, Justice Pam said that he was not planning to adjourn the case as he had taken permission not to attend the commissioning of the Federal Judicial Service Commission annex in Port Harcourt. Falana then commended the Judge for not adjourning the cases on account of the commissioning of the project by the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Projects commissioning
by Chief Justice cannot force judges to adjourn cases, Falana tells Judge
At the hearing of the case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party against the Independent National Electoral Commission, Social Democratic Party and its candidates contesting the 2023 general elections, the trial judge, Justice Pam
asked lawyers to be brief in their submissions as Judges were billed to attend the official commissioning of the Federal Judicial Service Commission Annex Building in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Mr. Femi Falana SAN defending the SDP candidates reacted to the information by calling for caution on the part of Nigerian judges and that the trial judge ought not to be present at the ceremony since it is a project of the state government under the control of the PDP, the Plaintiff in the case.
The PDP lawyer, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala SAN said that it is not unusual for Judges to attend projects being commissioned in any State by the nation’s Chief Justice. Falana said that he knows that the current Chief Justice, Justice Kayode Ariwoola will not ask Judges not to sit and dispense justice because of the commissioning of projects.
Mr. Falana recalled an incident in Lagos when a former military ruler, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) was paying official visit to Lagos State and the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice JIC Taylor was invited to the programme to receive the guest. Falana said that Justice Taylor turned down the invitation on the ground that he and his brother Judges were handing cases involving the federal military government headed by General Gowon.
Falana further disclosed that the then military governor of Lagos State had to apologise to the Chief Judge and his brother Judges for the official error.
At that juncture, Justice Pam said that he was not planning to adjourn the case as he had taken permission not to attend the commissioning of the Federal Judicial Service Commission annex in Port Harcourt. Falana said that is the correct position as cases must not be allowed to suffer commended the Judge for not adjourning the cases on account of commissioning of projects by the Chief Justice of Nigeria.