Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), has reiterated the judiciary’s resolve to make rulings free from the influence of popular opinion.
This follows contentious decisions about election disputes that led to the dismissal of multiple governors and legislators as well as widespread allegations of court bias.
Speaking to a crowd during the opening of the special session for the 2023–2024 academic year and the induction of 58 recently appointed Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Justice Ariwoola advised other judges to maintain the values of justice and resist pressure from the outside world.
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He said, “I expect every judicial officer to work very hard and also be very honest and courteous to the litigants, witnesses and members of the bar, and discharge all your judicial functions with all the humility at your command.
“Even while doing this, it is still necessary to have at the back of your minds that public opinions, sentiments or emotions can never take the place of the law in deciding the cases that come before you.
“The law remains the law, no matter whose interest is involved. In all we do, as interpreters of the law, we should endeavour to severe the strings of emotion from logic and assumption from fact.
“We should never be overwhelmed by the actions or loud voices of the mob or crowd and now begin to confuse law with sentiment or something else in deciding our cases.
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“Nevertheless, unnecessary and unwarranted utterances are bound to embarrass not only others, but the Judge himself; thus what should be asked, should be asked, and what should not be asked, should be avoided.”
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the law, guaranteeing the judiciary’s total independence, and promoting public confidence.
The CJN also gave assurance that the Supreme Court would soon function with all 21 judges, resolving the difficulty of fulfilling the constitutional requirement.
He disclosed that the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO), which was founded in 2018 by Justice W.S.A. Onnoghen, the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, has been instrumental in accelerating the prosecution of financial crimes and corruption.
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Notably, during the 2022–2023 era, the committee’s actions resulted in 1,094 convictions by the EFCC and 10 by the ICPC.
In the months of September 12, 2022, through July 11, 2023, the Supreme Court heard 1,271 cases, including appeals and motions. There were 464 civil appeals, 215 criminal appeals, and 388 political appeals among them. In addition, the court heard two political, 153 civil, and 49 criminal motions.
Over the same year, the supreme court issued 251 decisions, including 91 rulings and 125 political appeals, 81 civil appeals, and 45 criminal appeals.
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