In an tackle on ethics, morality, and the regulation, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, expressed issues over controversial rulings from courts of equal jurisdiction, particularly in Kano and Rivers States, the place judicial selections have fueled political conflicts.
She famous that whereas the judiciary has many diligent and moral judges, a couple of are tarnishing its repute.
Talking at a public discourse organized by the Motion for Islamic Tradition and Consciousness (MICA) to mark its thirtieth anniversary and have fun Justice Habeeb Adewale Abiru’s elevation to the Supreme Courtroom, Kekere-Ekun emphasised the necessity for judges to take care of private {and professional} integrity.
She reminded the judiciary of their accountability to the regulation, themselves, and to God, urging them to stay aware of public notion.
“The angle of the odd citizen, who observes and assesses the extent to which ethics, morality, and the regulation coexist harmoniously in society, have to be considered,” she said, stressing that judges are important in constructing public belief within the authorized system.
Highlighting the moral roots inside Nigerian society, the CJN referenced the affect of the Abrahamic faiths—Islam and Christianity—on the foundations of justice, each of which advocate for ethical uprightness. She underscored the twin position of authorized practitioners, who, she famous, should usually reconcile complicated moral and authorized dilemmas.
“The lawyer… should navigate a terrain the place regulation, ethics, and morality intersect,” she added, emphasizing that the position requires upholding societal ethical requirements whereas adhering to authorized necessities.
Kekere-Ekun acknowledged the challenges confronted by the judiciary and urged fixed vigilance, as a couple of errant judges might erode public confidence within the system.
“It’s unlucky that by and huge our judges are educated, upright, brave, and hardworking, however a couple of are giving us a nasty identify,” she lamented.
The CJN’s remarks come at a time when Nigerians are more and more scrutinizing the judiciary’s position in delivering unbiased and ethically grounded justice.
