Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has charged magistrates to avoid delaying justice.
Gatekeepers News reports that the CJN gave this charge in his keynote address delivered during the opening ceremony of the 2023 induction course for 100 newly appointed magistrates in Abuja.
The conference, with the theme: “Strengthening access to quality justice delivery in the magistrates’ courts,” was jointly organised with the Judicial College of England and Wales.
The CJN, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute, said, “The essence of justice is to achieve it swiftly and fairly; the duration must be intricately balanced with the outcome such that delay is not occasioned and the integrity of the outcome is not compromised.”
The Judicial College of England and Wales was represented by Deputy Senior District Judge, Tanweer Ikram, and Circuit Judge and International Coordinator for the Judicial College, Rachel Karp.
Karp said, “Judicial training should be provided throughout careers and must be multidisciplinary towards enhancing integrity, impartiality, expertise, and accountability.”
On his part, the administrator of NJI, Justice Salisu Abdullahi, warned the magistrates to “shun all forms of corrupt practices, bearing in mind the provisions of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and the Oath of Office, which you have all sworn to.”
