President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he is bothered about the performance of the Judiciary in the country, especially by the delay in serving justice in corruption cases.
The president said he is worried that the public is not getting what they expect from the judiciary.
Buhari expressed this in an address at the International Workshop On The Role of the Judiciary in the Fight Against Corruption which held on Monday at the Mohammed Bello Center, National Judicial Institute, Abuja.
“I am worried that the expectation of the public is yet to be met by the judiciary with regard to the removal of delay and the toleration of delay tactics by lawyers,” Buhari said at the workshop.
The president noted that when cases are not concluded the negative impression is given that crime pays.
However, the president said he recognises the efforts the judiciary to foster justice and accountability in Nigeria.
He said it is worth reminding Nigerians of the persisting challenges that confront the criminal justice system.
“The responsibility of the judiciary in a democratic society such as ours is a critical one. It is one of the three pillars of the modern democratic nation state and is essential to the process of checks and balances, which is so fundamental to the way societies such as ours are meant to operate and function,” Buhari said.
“This apparent function that the Judiciary plays is undeniably one of the cornerstones of any effective strategy against corruption.”
The president noted further that, “That is why Article 11 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, provides that the independence of the judiciary and its crucial role in combating corruption, shall, in accordance with the fundamental principles of a State Party’s legal system and without prejudice to judicial independence, take measures to strengthen integrity and to prevent opportunities of corruption among members of the judiciary.”
He urged the judiciary to remain impartial, adding that it is incumbent on the judiciary to analyse facts based on the applicable law without prejudice and penchant regarding the case they are dealing with, and without acting in any way that would favour the interests of any of the parties.
Where judicial corruption occurs, the damage can be pervasive and extremely difficult to reverse. It undermines citizens’ morale, violates their human rights, harms national development and depletes the quality of governance.
He said: “The judiciary must maintain its absolute independence. Judges should hear and handle their assigned cases without any external pressure or influence either by state powers, or by their hierarchical superiors, stakeholders or economic interest groups.
“The Judiciary must take steps to ensure that it is not seen as being partisan. As such, it must be aware of the sensitivities of the public and take steps towards avoiding even the shred of a doubt as regards its independence. In justice, integrity is a necessity. Hence, Judicial Officers and all other members of this sector must always demonstrate manifest integrity.
“In other words, the Judiciary should be in the forefront of efforts to develop rights based jurisprudence as an element in the multi-disciplinary approach advocated in the fight against corruption. It does have a role to play in the fight against corruption by enforcing the applicable laws.”
Buhari noted conclusively that the future of anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria rests not only on well-functioning, preventive systems, but also an effective sanctions and enforcement regime in accordance with the laws.
“We count on the judiciary to assist in this regard,” he added.
