CJN concerned about interlopers in the profession

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed has made a case for the progress of the judiciary and the need to uphold the tenets of the profession and the legal system.

Speaking at a special court session to mark the beginning of the 2016/17 Legal Year, the Hon. Justice Mohammed reminded the audience made up of distinguished members of the bar and bench of judicial traditions and the procedures for appointing a new CJN in Nigeria, expressing particular concern for the appointment of the next CJN, following his retirement in November.

Citing Section 231 of the 1999 constitution (as amended), which provides for this appointment by the President on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC), the CJN warned that a departure from the prevailing tradition (spanning over three decades) spells doom not only for the judiciary but the entire legal profession and the administration of justice system.

While an appointment from outside the current panel of Justices of the Supreme Court may seem a good possibility or even appealing to certain individuals in society, the CJN notes, the dangers he tells us, are inherent. According to him, the crisis that would follow would be inevitable.

HIS WORDS…

“Such an act of imposition would open up the position of the CJN to lobbyists with all the implications for our country, which depends on judicial integrity and impartiality.

“We shall resist the forces trying to subvert the traditional model of succession to the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria,” he said.

The CJN felt the need to speak to these issues, as this would be his last LEGAL YEAR. The Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed is due for retirement in November, hence his concern for the wellbeing of the judiciary and the profession after his departure. If his fears turn out baseless, then Justice Samuel Onnoghen, who has already been recommended, by the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) to the NJC, would become the next CJN.