The Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, says that the administration of justice by courts is no doubt central to the stability of Nigeria and its federating units.
Speaking at a special court session to mark the opening of the new legal year – 2020 – 2021 – in Rivers State judiciary, Prof. Adangor had said that the opening ceremony for the new legal year which dates back to Middle Ages was a solemn occasion during which members of the Bench and Bar would reaffirm commitment to effective and efficient and speedy administration of justice.
He had said that the dispensation of justice by the courts was not only a prescription of the law but also the very essence why courts exist.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice said: “Although the quest for justice as administered by the courts is not without its challenges, there is no doubt that the administration of justice by courts of law is central to the stability of the Federation of Nigeria and its constituent federating states because without the court system everyone will be a law unto himself”.
He said the opening of the new legal year afforded opportunity to celebrate judicial officers, including magistrates and Chairmen and members of customary courts on whose shoulders the burden of administering justice lies.
He had said that the Ministry of Justice as an institutional stakeholder would continue to cooperate and collaborate with the judiciary and other critical partners in driving necessary reform and improve the administration of justice.
Meanwhile also speaking at the occasion, the State Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Adama Iyaye – Lamikanra, had said the vision of the judiciary was to put the state on the world map in the legal sector.
She had said that the judiciary had embraced information communication technology for speedy dispensation of justice.
The state chief judge commended the governor of the state, Chief Nyesom Wike, for everything he had done and would still do for the judiciary.
She however expressed regret that the judiciary was victim of the #EndSARS protests embarked upon by youths in the country and asked for reforms in the police and said that courts were destroyed in the process.
