We saved total collapse of the financial industry – Outgoing CJ

The outgoing Chief Justice (CJ) of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta has said that the Judiciary was majorly responsible for saving the nation’s financial industry from total collapse, by helping the government in the implementation of her monetary policies.

 

Justice Auta will declaring open the 2017/2018 new legal year at the Federal High Court headquarters in Abuja, told members of the inner and outer bar how the introduction of the Civil Aviation Procedure Rules in 2013 facilitated and accelerated litigation in Aviation matters.

 

According to him, prior to the introduction of the rule, matters concerning aviation were handled under the Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules.

 

Aside the Civil Aviation Procedure Rules, the court under the leadership of Justice Auta also introduced the Asset Management (AMCON) Practice Direction 2013, designating Judges and courts to ensure that cases relating to actions by AMCON were not delayed.

 

The CJ who will be bowing out of service on Monday, September 18, 2017 having attained the mandatory 65 years of age also informed that his leadership introduced front loading under Order 3 Rule 3 of the Federal High Court Rules mandating practitioners to file their process with all documents needed to prosecute their cases.

 

“In this regard, we have substantially eliminated the practice where lawyers spring surprises; reduced writing by the judges and ultimately saved time both for the court and the parties

 

“In our determination to ensure that cases before each judge is reduced, we initiated the appointment of 30 judges, the first of its kind in the entire federal judiciary. Our further desire for the appointment of 10 more judges is about 80% completed and I believe before the end of the year, 10 more judges will be appointed for the Federal High Court bench to further enhance our manpower for the good of the nation and the administration of Justice”, Justice Auta said.

 

He however lamented the continued dwindling budget provisions for the judiciary which he said was responsible for the court not to have been able to request for 20 new judges instead of the 10, and the non-completion of the new federal high court, Lagos division which had been going on for about 6 years.

 

On some politically motivated cases, he pointed out that despite all “pressures to stop certain members of the national assembly as a result of their abandonment of the party that brought them to power, the court insisted that every candidate must be allowed to test his/her popularity.

 

“Secondly, the attempt to stop the President from contesting was also rejected by this court. This is because we in the federal high court preferred a level playing ground to all candidates. It is the opinion and insistence of this court that has kept the country together during and after the elction.

 

“The nation therefore owes it to the judiciary and particularly federal high court for the unity of the country”.

 

Representing the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, Solicitor General of the Federation, Dayo Akpata urged the judiciary to assert its efficient dispensation of justice and continue with its reforms and improvement.

 

SEYI ANJORIN, Abuja