The Chief Judge of Lagos State Honourable Justice Opeyemi Oke has approved the recommendation by the Access to Justice Arm of the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association that Registrars of Court should acknowledge receipt of all court processes and correspondences from counsel.
This she reasoned is to avoid some unnecessary confusion and conflicts that happen in open court between court registrars and counsel as to the whereabouts of pertinent documents.
The Chief Judge gave the approval during the presentation of the Report on the findings of the Branch on the “State of Affairs in the Lagos State Judiciary” conducted by Access to Justice.
The Chairman of the Branch Mr. Adesina Ogunlana revealed this while presenting the report of the meeting with the Chief Judge which was held on Tuesday, January 11 at the Chief Judge’s office in Ikeja.
Mr. Adesina who stated that the report exposed the horrible corruption in the High Courts noted that the report did not just complain but also proffered solutions.
“Our Report exposed the horrible corruption , inefficiency, inadequacy of equipment and staff strength in virtually all the departments of the judiciary to wit the Open Registry, The Probate Registry aka wetin you bring come; The Sheriffs Section aka cash and carry; The Appeal Registry aka Self Help Centre; Bail Administration In The Magistrates Courts etc. The Report is not just a complaints bag, it is also replete with preferred solutions.”
The report also advocated strongly for a more improved welfare package for the Judiciary workers to boost their morale and lessen felonious intents.
Speaking further on the outcome of the meeting, the Chairman of the Branch noted;
“We told the chief judge that the main thrust of my administration of the Ikeja Bar is encapsulated in the following words of mine uttered at my inauguration as the leader of the famously progressive and the progressively famous Tiger Bar on June 14 2017 to wit’ Come with us to Camelot…..”
“Our administration has come so that we all may have Practice and Practice more abundantly ‘ on the belief that the prosperity or otherwise of the Practicing Lawyer depends greatly on the efficiency and justice levels of the Court System.”
“In the course of my address to the Chief Judge , we commended her fulsomely for her frenetic pace of positive work and strong anticorruption stance which is shaking the Lagos Judiciary to its near foundation and for which we sobriqueted the Apex Judex ‘HURRICANE OPEYEMI’.”
The NBA Chairman stated that the Chief judge assured the delegates that the Report would be considered and even immediately granted one of the proffered solutions to wit; that hence forth in Lagos state, courts will be acknowledging receipt of processes and correspondences brought them by counsel to avoid some unnecessary confusion and conflicts that happen in open court between court registrars and counsel as to the whereabouts of pertinent documents. The Chief Judge also revealed that acknowledging receipt of correspondence and processes has always been standard practice in her court.
The Chief Judge spoke to the delegation on what Mr. Adesina termed “legacy of corruption” she inherited. She further revealed that there were threats already made against her for her determination to confront the corruption in the institution she heads. She also sought the support of the Ikeja Bar.
She further directed the Leaders of the Bar to forward their report to the Governor of Lagos and the Attorney General who she noted are very much interest in the progress of the Lagos Judiciary.
The Chief Judge was accompanied to the meeting by Hon Justice Babajide Candide- Johnson while the delegates from the Ikeja NBA were about 25 and led by their Chairman Mr. Adesina.
Good times ahead I dare say.
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