Judges who recently gave conflicting judgements from same
courts are being investigated based on petition against them, the Chief Justice
of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, said on Monday.
The CJN who promised that appropriate actions would be taken
against them, also said that lawyers who write petitions against judges and
other judicial officers directly to the President without going through the National
Judicial Council would be punished by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary
Committee.
According to him, the constitution has clearly placed the
power to exercise discretionary control over judicial officers in the NJC.
Mohammed made the clarification in Abuja on Monday, during
the special session of the Supreme Court to mark the commencement of the
2016-2017 legal year and inauguration of 22 newly conferred Senior Advocates of
Nigeria.
The conflicting judgments were given by a
Federal High Court in Abuja and another Federal High Court in Port Harcourt
over internal crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party between the Ahmed Makarfi
and Alli Modu Sherrif factions.
Another conflicting judgement was given in Abia State PDP
crisis in the alleged tax clearance certificate scandal involving Governor
Okezie Ikpeazu and Uche Ogah.
The CJN stated that in line with the provisions of the
constitution, the Judicial Discipline Regulations 2014 comprehensively sets out
the procedure for making a complaint, without undue interference from other
arms of government.
He said, “Let me state before the court stands that the case
of courts of coordinate jurisdiction giving conflicting judgments will be
addressed. All the judges involved are being investigated and action will be
taken against them accordingly.
“It is therefore of great concern that lawyers, litigants
and even members of the public route complaints against judicial officers to
the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I am most dismayed that legal practitioners who ought to
better appreciate the need for the independence of their primary constituency
would engage in this misguided practice.
-punch
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