Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed, has said that the Nigerian bar is the light of Nigeria and is setting the pace for development and entrepreneurship in the country.
The CJN said this while giving his special address at the 60th Nigerian Bar Association Virtual Annual General Conference (AGC).
Applauding the NBA for its leadership and the support it has given to the judiciary during this time when all sectors have been hit by the pandemic, the CJN said, “The fact that we are here today (at the virtual conference) exemplifies the doggedness of the bar and the leadership of Paul Usoro, SAN, in remaining firm and resolute in making an indelible mark to reposition our modus operandi by fully entrenching the digitization of our processes.
“The array of speakers and the theme of the conference shows that it is indeed a step forward.”
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Justice Tanko also noted that on 23rd March 2020, he directed all heads of courts, excepting a few, to suspend physical hearings to ensure that courtrooms do not become vectors for the spread of COVID-19. Further to this, a committee led by Justice Rhodes-Vivourwas directed to draw up measures that would enable safe processes in the judicial system, and on the basis of this work, the guidelines that were issued on 7th April 2020 and subsequently adopted and published as Practice Directions were adopted by several state high courts.
He added that “the rule of law is a sine qua non for any society. It is not a luxury. The bar plays a major role in this regard.”
“Let no one be in doubt that the judiciary under my watch would continue to uphold the tenets of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. It is our collective responsibility to uphold the rule of law through a commitment to the full enthronement of the rule of law, rejecting disobedience and non-compliance by a judicial authority which is a direct invitation to anarchy in the society. Certainly, under our watch, we will not take it, I will not take it.”
On behalf of the Nigerian Judiciary, he welcomed all panelists, speakers, and delegates, as the Judiciary joins the NBA to step forward into a new era of innovation.
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