The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has advised Federal High Court judges to always consult with laws and rules before writing their judgements and rulings.
He gave the advice on Wednesday while declaring open the 2023 Conference of Judges of the Federal High Court held at the court’s headquarters in Abuja.
“To be a judge and lord of courts is not a child’s play, hence, as judges, you must always strive to come up with judgements that would stand the test of time, especially judgements that would not be overturned by appellate courts.
Do not attempt to convince anybody no matter how highly placed,” the CJN stated.
Justice Ariwoola reminded the judges that the Federal High Court is not only the largest and best in the country, but the only court that has exclusive, originating jurisdiction over election-related matters in the country.
“For the reasons I have just enumerated, I charge you not to take your appointments for granted. You must work harder to justify the appointments by always coming up with judgements and decisions that would not be rejected by the appellate courts.
“Go extra miles to justify the appointments and do not create loopholes that could tarnish the image and reputation of the court,” he advised.
He congratulated the judges on the opportunity of witnessing the conference and the 50th anniversary of the court.
Also, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, recalled the establishment of the court 50 years ago in Lagos State, where it was just a single court room with five judges. But today it has grown into thirty-seven (37) divisions with ninety-five (95) judges at the moment.
Justice Tsoho said that the twenty-three (23) judges recently appointed to beef up the performance of the court have since been inducted and deployed to various divisions.
On the conference, he said that it is aimed at critically discussing issues confronting the court and to proffer solutions to the challenges.
He thanked the CJN and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for their contributions to the growth of the court over the years.
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