By Kenneth Atavti
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun on Tuesday said the National Judicial Council, NJC will not spare any judge who fails to deliver the required number of judgments in a quarter.
The CJN, who spoke in Abuja while addressing the 3rd Annual National Judicial Council (NJC) Conference on Judges’ Performance Evaluation said, at the last meeting of the performance evaluation committee, there was a reduction in case disposal as some judicial officers failed to deliver a single judgment in one quarter, which she said, is simply unacceptable.
“Unless we can justly, speedily and effectively execute our roles as judicial officers, the populace will lose confidence in the judiciary as it is mostly believed rightly or wrongly that the judicial process is often painstakingly slow and tedious, delayed justice is denied justice”, she said.
The CJN called on Judges to embrace the culture of excellence and accountability as well as being in charge of their courtroom, maximizing the use of the case management system and fostering an environment where constructive feedback is valued and acted upon.
Performance metrics, she said, should not merely be about speed but also about the quality and impact of the decisions of Judges.
On the increasing number of pending cases and low disposition rates, Kekere-Ekun disclosed that as of the 1st quarter of 2024, there were a total of 243,253 cases pending in superior courts of record, exclusive of the Supreme Court. This total comprises 199,747 civil cases and 43,506 criminal cases.
“Therefore, it is imperative for all of us to take serious note of this alarming situation and refocus our attention towards enhancing our judicial performance”, Justice Kekere-Ekun added.
She encouraged Judges to explore information technology options and case management innovations to enhance judicial performance adding that, the introduction of digital case management systems, the Judicial Performance Evaluation Software (JPES), virtual courtrooms, e-filing systems, digital databases, web seminars, online meetings and advanced research engines provide a myriad of tools for efficiency in case disposition.
The CJN said the increase of the salaries and allowances of Judicial Officers by President Bola Tinubu was a remarkable achievement as the improvement in the welfare of Judicial Officers is a step in the right direction to promote the independence of the judiciary and will also have an impact on the professionalism, quality and pace of justice in the country.
To enhance the effectiveness and integrity of the nation’s judicial system, members of the legal profession, she noted, must continually strive for mastery and excellence of the craft, adding that, judicial Officers must carry out their duties with integrity and a deep sense of responsibility to restore public trust in the judiciary.
According to Kekere-Ekun the NJC performance evaluation committee which is saddled with the responsibility of evaluating the performances of judicial Officers by assessing the quarterly returns of cases of Judges in the superior courts of records in Nigeria has recorded success.
She said, the theme of the conference, “Judge Craft, performance and the way forward” encapsulates the core of the professional endeavours of Judges, their aspirations and their desire for excellent service delivery in Justice Dispensation and administration in the Nigerian judiciary.