No going back on probe of petitions by S/Court Justices against ex-CJN, Senate

The Senate on Tuesday mandated the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, to go ahead with the probe of the crisis in the judiciary by looking into the complaints raised in the petition by the Justices of the Supreme Court.

It also tasked the committee to interface with the three arms of government, as well as the Bar and the Bench to collate aggregate views and positions on the short-term, medium-term and long-term measures needed to decisively address the crisis facing the Judiciary.

The Senate explained that such measures must include the immediate fiscal intervention as well as long-term and sustainable budgetary allocations, required for the optimal performance of the Judiciary, in line with global best practices.

These were resolutions reached by the Senate, sequel to a motion brought to the floor by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central).

Coming under Order 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders 2022, as amended, Senator Bamidele recalled that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had last week, drawn the attention of the chamber to media reports on the state of affairs in the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

He noted that the poor welfare of Judicial Officers would adversely affect the output of the Judiciary in service delivery.

According to the lawmaker, “the Judiciary, which is the epicentre of the temple of justice, should be preserved by the Senate through appropriate legislative measures to safeguard this highly revered institution and prevent it from being ridiculed.”

He stated that the Committee, in taking steps to look into the matter as directed by the Senate President, has started the process of arranging to interface with relevant stakeholders both at the Bar and on the Bench.

He said the resignation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed, on Sunday 27th June 2022, “will not prevent the committee from going ahead with its assignment in the quest to find a probable lasting solution to the matter.”

The chairman noted that “even though Justice Tanko Muhammed has stepped down as CJN, most of the issues raised by the Justices of the Supreme Court and other stakeholders within the Judiciary, still remain and need to be addressed urgently to prevent an eventual shutdown of the Judiciary.”