Status of state judiciaries’ financial autonomy worries CJN

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, has expressed worry over the status of financial autonomy of the judiciaries at the state level in the country. He said this yesterday at the opening ceremony of the 2018 All Nigeria Judges’ Conference of the Lower Courts at the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja. Justice […]

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, has expressed worry over the status of financial autonomy of the judiciaries at the state level in the country.

He said this yesterday at the opening ceremony of the 2018 All Nigeria Judges’ Conference of the Lower Courts at the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja.

Justice Onnoghen said while the judiciary at the federal level enjoyed full financial independence, the same cannot be said of the state judiciaries.

“It is clear that the litmus test to determine how free and democratic any nation is would be to take a cursory look at its judiciary to find out if the executive is prepared to obey the principle of separation of powers.

“The independence of the judiciary can only be sustained and guaranteed when there is no interference by the other arms of government in the discharge of its constitutional duties,” he said.