The Judiciary’a decision to proceed on its annual two-month vacation, despite the disruption of normal court calendar this year by the Coronavirus pandemic, has sparked a debate in legal circles, writeFORMER Imo State Government Ikedi Ohakim is among many individuals on trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Ohakim is charged withe money laundering offences. He was first arraigned on July 8, 2015 on a three count charge, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Ditto the trial of former Chairman, Syke Bank Plc , Tunde Ayeni, and the bank’s ex-Managing Director, Timothy Oguntayo, on money laundering charges allegedly involving about N25.4 billion, before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu. Lawyers, litigants and other courts’ users had hoped for an improvement in courts’ activities, with the gradual easing of lockdown measures, only to be hit with the news of an impending shutdown of courts nationwide, for the next two months, because it is the time of the year when judicial officers proceed on their annual long vacation.
“During this time, all the hierarchy of courts, to wit: The High Court, Magistrate Court and Customary Court will all be operational. Please, note that individual Hon. Judges will proceed on annual vacation as approved by My Lord, the Hon. Chief Judge,” Akinyemi said. “Across Nigeria, therefore, most judges have somewhat been on vacation during this period. With a partial resumption of judicial activities, some courts have only been hearing matters considered to be urgent, essential, and time-bound. All other matters have been continuously adjourned.
The group argued that the decision of courts to proceed on vacation at this time is condemnable and insisted that “those charged with the administration of justice should uphold its tenets beyond what may be misconstrued as promoting personal interest. “Secondly, even the lawyers need such a break. Remember that Madagascar is reeling under the full weight of the virus now, after that country’s leadership wrongly thought they had got the cure for the plague, and then permitted willy-nilly social relations. Ghana had that experience too.”