Onnoghen
“I therefore urge you to remain focused at all times. Be bold and try to resist all forms of undue influence, both external and within. Blackmail in any form must not be entertained. Shun all forms of corruption. The current fight against corruption by the present administration is real and commendable. We must all join hands to fight this monster, lest it consumes us. This is the only country we have, and we owe it to posterity to bequeath a safe and decent nation to future generations.
“I must remind you that the judiciary is
the only organ of government that can guarantee its independence by the
conduct and utterances of judicial officers. If you adhere to these
guidelines, you are assured of protection.
“Always rely on precedent set by the
Supreme Court. If you do, I promise you, you won’t go wrong in your
judgments. Another concept I want to encourage you to embrace is
information technology.
“Times have changed and the time has come
to open up a window of communication to the public. You have to engage
the media to showcase the activities of your courts, especially your
efforts at better justice delivery to litigants.
“This will encourage public enlightenment
and boost confidence in the judiciary, as well as remove the public
perception of the judiciary as a closed society. This undoubtedly has
its own risk. Today, we are witnesses of the horrific trend of some
unscrupulous lawyers discussing matters that are before courts in the
media, in brazen attempts to influence judgments of courts. To stem this
ugly tide, I urge you to consider invoking your inherent power of
contempt where there are such violations or infractions in respect of
matters that are sub-judice.”
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