It is difficult for the judiciary to be impartial and objective in a democracy where it remains financially tied to the executive.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad made this known at the 2021 biannual all Nigeria judges conference of the superior courts in Abuja.
The theme of this year’s Conference, “Promoting Judicial excellence in the administration of Justice” is apt and germane, considering the pivotal role of the Judiciary towards stabilizing our democracy.
The importance of that role is evident in the provision of Section 6 of the Constitution, 1999 (as amended) , which clothes the judiciary with its wide constitutional powers
It similarly thrusts on Judges the responsibility to fairly, justly, judiciously and impartially exercise judicial powers.
In order to ensure these qualities are ingrained in judges and promote greater understanding of topical issues affecting the bench, the National judicial institute trains and retrain judicial officers.
Addressing the Judges the Chief Judge of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad says among judiciaries in the commonwealth, the Nigerian judiciary is the most over burdened, harassed and over stretched with political cases and disputation.
But he assures that this will not deter them from rising to the challenge and restoring public confidence in the judicial system by resisting the tendency to issue incessant ex-parte orders .
But he stresses that there is need for financial autonomy upon which the impartiality of the judiciary is anchored.
The conference is declared open by president Muhammadu Buhari who is represented by Vice President yemi Osinbajo at the event
He commends the judiciary for the role it played when the country faced trying times during the Covid-19 period.
The remote and virtual proceedings adopted by the court helped in reducing the docket of cases before the judges and also hold firmed up the country’s democracy.
