Implement report on financial autonomy for judiciary, SERAP to Buhari

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to fully implement the the report which recommended financial autonomy for state legislature and the judiciary, submitted to him in June 2019.

In the letter dated September 27, 2019, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, to the president, the organization said equal treatment before the law is a pillar of democratic societies.

According to SERAP, “when judicial financial autonomy and by extension, independence and sanctity are undermined, the scales of justice are tipped, and ordinary Nigerians suffer. In fact, when judicial autonomy and independence are under siege, everyone loses, as the voice of the innocent goes unheard, while the guilty continue to act with impunity.”

SERAP added: “In the context of a growing attack on the country’s judiciary by the authorities and politicians, the full implementation of the report will contribute to improving judicial independence and respect for constitutional principles of separation of powers and systems of checks and balances designed to prevent political interference and ensure respect for the rule of law.”

SERAP further expressed concern over what it called the growing list of court orders and decisions that have been disobeyed by the government, ‘‘the most recent being the order by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, granting bail to the Publisher of SaharaReporters, Mr. Omoyele Sowore and the reported attempts by the government to drag Justice Taiwo before the National Judicial Council (NJC) on account of his decision to grant bail to Mr Sowore.’’