Lawyers condemn court proceedings at police stations
It was learnt that the state Chief Judge, Justice Gladys Olateru-Olagbegi reportedly constituted a make shift court at the police headquarters following a protracted strike embarked upon by members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). A statement signed by 22 lawyers, led by the former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Secretary, Titiloye Charles, in […]
It was learnt that the state Chief Judge, Justice Gladys Olateru-Olagbegi reportedly constituted a make shift court at the police headquarters following a protracted strike embarked upon by members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).
A statement signed by 22 lawyers, led by the former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Secretary, Titiloye Charles, in Akure described the action as an illegality, adding that an emergency meeting of NBA, Akure branch would hold to deliberate on the issue.
The NBA executive had on January 8 overruled the request of lawyers to summon the emergency meeting on the ground that the action of CJ to constitute a court at the police headquarters was in order.
But the lawyers said the intention of their members to hold the meeting was not to query the authority of CJ, but to bring the issue in line with the constitution of Nigeria.
They argued that the power of CJ is subject to section 36 of the constitution querying how independent and impartial can a Magistrate Court sitting in the office of the complainant, a party to the suit be?
The lawyers asked: “Can the right of a CJ to designate court overrule the constitution on the need for the court to be constituted in an impartial and independent manner?
“Can a Magistrate Court be allowed under the law to handle capital offences in police stations without the appearance of lawyers whose presence is mandatory by the constitution in view of the fact that the offence attracts capital punishment?”
The legal practitioners said their executives could not make a resolution on an issue in which members requested for a meeting for it to be resolved. “There is no way NBA can keep quiet and watch illegality being perpetrated without questioning it.
The lawyers urged the NBA executives to honour their inalienable right to convene the meeting, stressing that it is not an extraordinary meeting as contained in the by-law, but an emergency meeting of the branch which requires immediate action.