CJN charges judges on best practices

By Vivian Okejeme Abuja

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, has said that the public perception of the judiciary is largely determined on its application of best practices in the business of the court.
According to Onnoghen, when the top echelons of the judiciary are properly trained, fully equipped and highly conscientious, then the judiciary will function optimally.
He added that best practices further deepen public confidence in the ability of the courts to administer justice without ‘fear or favour, affection or ill will.
The CJN stated this while giving his keynote address at the 2018, National Workshop for Chief Registrars, Deputy Chief Registrars, Directors and Secretaries of the Judicial Service Commissions in Abuja.
With the theme: ‘Applying Best Practices in Court Administration is deliberate’, the workshop tends to equip the participants for effective and efficient performance of thier duties to enable the judiciary runs smoothly like a well-oiled machine.
“Your ever expanding duties require you to become court administrators taking into cognizance the fact that you manage both the human and material resources of the court.
“Your office is essential to the efficient coordination and management of resources to enhance justice delivery in your courts. Thus, you must be honest and be persons of exceptional integrity.
“Your actions are like a beacon of light that other staff can aspire to follow and depend upon for guidance,” Onnoghen said.
In her opening speech, the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice R.P.I Bozimo, said that the Judiciary can only mature when it embarks on positive innovation in the discharge if it’s statutory responsibilities.
In view of this, the CJN, according to Bozimo, had introduced the legal e-mailed system at the Supreme Court to eradicate all kinds of manual communication.
“The Nigeria Judiciary must strive to achieve parity with best global practices in court administration. We must be at the helm, steering our affairs towards a justice system which our dear nation deserves.
“The Nigerian Judiciary continues to actually pursue lasting structural and ethical reforms that will better position it to meet the aspirations of the average court users.
“The legal e-mail system is with the aim to phase out all forms of manual communication within the Nigerian courts and to eliminate chaotic situations created by manual handling of court information, she said.