Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in a group picture with Supreme Court Judges after the swearing-in ceremony of some Senior Advocate of Nigeria held in Abuja
The
Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen has ordered all
heads of courts in the federation to compile and forward the lists of
all corruption and financial crimes cases in their courts.
Justice Onnoghen also directed them to
designate one or two courts in their jurisdiction as Special Courts for
the hearing and speedy determination of corruption and financial crimes
cases.
The CJN, who reiterated the pegging of
legal appearances for each party to five, announced the major reforms in
the criminal justice system yesterday in Abuja during the conferment of
the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to 29 senior lawyers.
He said, to effectively monitor and
enforce the new policy, an Anti-Corruption Cases Trial Monitoring
Committee will be set up at the next meeting of the National Judicial
Council (NJC).
He said the committee would, among other
responsibilities, ensure that “both Trial and Appellate Courts handling
corruption and financial crime cases key into and abide by our renewed
efforts at ridding our Country of the canker worm.”
The CJN also directed all heads of courts to clamp down on lawyers who deploy delay tactics in criminal matters before them.
He said the Supreme Court considered 1, 362 in the 2016/2017 legal year, while 243 judgments were delivered.
He solicited the cooperation of the
public in the anti-corruption war, and advised litigants, advocates and
the public to refrain from making unsubstantiated and malicious
allegations/complaints against judicial officers.
“We are under no illusion that the fight
against corruption would be an easy one, as we are already aware that
when you fight corruption, corruption fights back; but we are determined
to win it,” he said.
He told the new SANs that the rank is a privilege, which can be withdrawn if abused.
Also speaking, the Attorney General of
the Federation and Minister for Justice (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN)
said Nigeria currently faces serious political and constitutional
challenges from different sectors.
“In view of its role as the ultimate
arbiter of disputes in our polity there is no doubt that this Court will
be increasingly required, in the coming year, to interpret and
adjudicate on various matters affecting the sustenance of our national
values and the sanctity of our political system,” he said.
In his response on behalf of the new
SANs, Elder C.A.N. Nwokeukwu (SAN) promised that the new silks will live
up to the expectation of Nigerians.
The ceremony was attended by the Vice
President, Yemi Osinbajo, whose younger brother, Akinlolu Osinbajo, was
among the 29 lawyers conferred with the prestigious rank.
Other dignitaries at the event were
former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme; state governors, members of the
National Assembly, and serving and retired judges.
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