The Chief Judge of Ebonyi State , Justice Elvis A. Ngene has enjoined judicial umpires to leverage on their works to mitigate the hardship and poverty in the land.
He said that effective and efficient administration of justice,whether civil or criminal justice is key and central to economic development, good governance,rule of law and all the other indices required to get our country on its feet.
Justice Ngene who stated this at the opening of Ebonyi State 2023/2024 legal year said that their Lordships are aware of the seriousness attached to the administration of justice that oil the last hope of the common man, adding that “judiciary is obviously the keeper of the conscience of the society.”
According to him, “the common man who carries the standard with which the credibility and effectiveness of the administration of justice is measured,
bears the brunt.”
“What I am driving at is that while we do not have to dance to the gallery , we must pay attention to public perception of our actions as we preside in our courts for that provides the yardstick for measuring our strength as the last hope of the common man.”
“Public perception of our conduct as judicial umpires is critical to building or eroding public confidence in our courts as the hope of common man. Let us also be conscious of the hardships and poverty in the land and the dire need to drive the economy forward and give the best of our service to the people,” he enjoined.
Noting the aptness of the theme of this new legal year: which was tagged “The Concept of the Rule of Law in a Democracy” the Chief Judge observed that it touches on burning issues of public interest adding that Rule of Law cannot be down played if the practice of democracy should be taken seriously in any polity.
He warned that an effective and efficient Judiciary of our dream will not emerge if our democracy is one in which the concept of rule of law has no place of abode.
The Chief Judge said that it is inline with the consciousness of the place of courts
in promoting the rule of law and the sustenance of democracy that successive administrations in Ebonyi State set the pace for the building of a judiciary of pride and true bastion of hope for common man.
Detailing the performance of the judiciary in the state , the chief judge said it show that in the year under review, a total of 15,990 cases were brought forward, while a total of 9,218 fresh cases were filed, and 11,289 cases disposed off, leaving 13,918 cases pending.
At the Magistrate Court, 3,961 cases were pending at the beginning of the last legal year, a total of 4,072 fresh cases were filed while 3,820 cases were disposed of during the period , leaving 4,213 cases pending at the end of the said period.
The year under review also saw the appointments of six new judges of the High Court, a new President of the Customary Court of Appeal Justice P.U.Uhuo and the appointment of 15 new Magistrates bringing the total number of Magistrates to 47 , the highest in the annals of the state judiciary.
The Chief Judge commended the Ebonyi State Governor RT. Hon.Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru whom he said his magnanimous gesture has lifted up state judiciary. He said that within a short while after assumption of office seamlessly provided 47 GAC GS3 Jeeps to the 47 Magistrates of Ebonyi State.
Earlier in his address, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Ebonyi State Dr. Ben Uruchi Odoh had also commended the state governor, Nwifuru for his encouragement and assistance to the Ministry of Justice, Judiciary and the bar adding that in less than two months in office the governor approved the release of disbursement of bursary awards to 150 students of Ebonyi State origin at various campuses of Nigerian Law School.
Odoh said the ministry of Justice plan to digitalize it’s operation with a World class case Management system (Caseflow- eMOJ) and establish Ebonyi State Multi Door Court house among others.
Also speaking during the event on behalf of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria present, the IMO State Hon. Attorney General Emeritus Chukwuma- Machukwu Ume (SAN) congratulated Ebonyi State Judiciary for the wonderful legal year.
He commended the Ebonyi State Judiciary for it’s innumerous contributions to the upliftment of the Nigerian jurisprudence citing such personalities as Late Hon. Justice Ngwuta JSC who he said bravely pronounced the law the way it is. He described former Chief Judge of Ebonyi State, Hon Justice Aloy Nwankwo, as the Father of the modern day Judiciary of Ebonyi State.
Ume SAN said the people of Ebonyi State have been blessed with exemplary Governors pointing out that in the last 8 years, Ebonyi State has been exemplary in the provision of infrastructure, adding that by the same Providence, the State is now blessed with a young energetic Governor who has shown that governance includes inclusiveness of all persons despite the different shades of backgrounds.
He called on World Leaders who are showing confusion in the handling of Israeli/Palestinian conflict to borrow a leaf from the Governor of Ebonyi State who is using diplomacy to stem off violence in Ebonyi state.
Governor Nwifuru has also demonstrated within the short period after assumption of office an uncommon encouragement through all he is doing for the Judiciary, Ministry of f Justice and all Ebonyi State indigenes in the Nigerian Law School, the silk noted.