There is the need to review the composition of the National Judicial Council, NJC and the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC.
This is according to the Chairman, Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN.
Chief Olanipekun said what the judiciary is currently experiencing should be completely rejigged, readjusted, retooled, recast and overhauled, to bring in independent people to perform the functions of the two bodies.
This was contained in a paper he presented at the 2022 Annual Aka Bashorun Lecture.
It was organised by thẹ Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Ikeja Branch held at Marriot Hotel, GRA, Ikeja.
Olanipekun was responding to the May 3 valedictory speech of a recently retired Justice of thẹ Supreme Court, Justice Ejembi Eko who suggested that budgetary allocation of the judiciary be subjected to investigation by the anti-graft agencies.
In his address, Chief Olanipekun described thẹ development at thẹ apex court as “topical and unprecedented legal conundrum which has to be nipped in the bud.”
He therefore urged stakeholders ìn the nation’s Judiciary to wade into the row as quickly as possible.
Also at the event one of thẹ discussants, Yemi Candide-Johnson, SAN, said the function of the legal system cannot bẹ achieved if practitioners continue to destroy it with lies.
He remarked that if the system is corrupted with money, it would bẹ difficult to get justice. He regretted that some justices of the apex court have failed in thẹ description of the character of an upright Judge.
In his own contribution, a Life Bencher, Dele Adesina, SAN, said lawyers should be courageous enough to reject forum shopping from clients. He stressed the need for the disciplinary Committee of thẹ NBA to be able to sanction members as appropriate.
Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN, blamed lawyers for some of the rot in the judiciary.
According to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, lawyers themselves are thẹ cause of the problems ìn the judiciary saying, “If we don’t regulate ourselves now, it will give room for external body to regulate us.”
