Making Heavy Weather of Political Matters Before the Courts Kayode Ajulo

Cautions that political sentiments must not be allowed to destroy the fabrics of the Nigerian judiciary

Judges, individually and collectively, attach great importance to maintaining the confidence of the public. Public confidence is invoked as a guiding principle in relation to the conduct of judges, on and off the bench, and in relation to the institutional conduct of courts. And it is a value that plays a part in the development of legal principle; it is necessary for the effective performance of the judicial function.

The general acceptance of judicial decisions, by citizens and by governments, which is essential for the peace, welfare and good government of the community, rests, not upon coercion but upon public confidence. The importance to the rule of law of such a state of confidence in the judiciary that people and governments, routinely accept and comply with judicial decisions is self-evident. And this acceptance is most necessary in the case of decisions that are controversial and unpopular.

In the celebrated case of Metropolitan Properties Co. (F.G.C.) Ltd. v. Lannon D (1969) 1 Q.B. 577 at 599, the legendary Lord Denning succinctly explained the quiddity of public confidence in the judiciary. He said, “The reason is plain enough. Justice must be rooted in confidence; and confidence is destroyed when right-minded people go away thinking: ‘The Judge is biased’. On the Sacred Office of Judicial Officers I have deemed it pertinent to reiterate that as judicial officers, judges have the sacred constitutional duty to endeavour to uphold and preserve the rule of law. As aptly asserted by the Supreme Court.

The judiciary cannot shirk its sacred responsibility to the nation to maintain the rule of law. It is both in the interest of the government and all persons in Nigeria. The law should be even handed between the government and the citizen. See Governor of Lagos State Vs. Ojukwu (1986) 1 NWLR (Pt.18) 621, per Obaseki, JSC.

As priests in the sacrosanct hallowed temple of justice, judges are under an onerous duty to administer the laws with utmost degree of fairness and justice to all and sundry. Recall, the trite time -hallowed doctrines: (i) Fiat Justitia Per eat Mundus (Let Justice be done though the world perish); and (ii) Fiat justitia ruat caelum (Let justice be done though the heavens fall).

It should be noted that the provisions of the constitution are so clear and circumspect that before a Legal Practitioner is appointed as a judge of various superior courts of record, he must be, at least, 10 years post call. Moreso, the need to be fit and proper has been inculcated in prospective lawyers from law school and various mechanism have been put in place to ensure the independence, sanctity and sacredness of the judiciary.

Take for instance the incumbent Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad who has been in the judiciary for over three decades and has assiduously risen through the rank and file of the judiciary from a Magistrate to become the Chief Justice of the Federation.

Before his elevation to the Supreme Court, His Lordship was the youngest justice among the 12 Justices elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1993 and he was at the Court for more than one decade. During that time, his companions at the Court of Appeal were Hon. Justice Mamman Nasir, Justice Sulu Gambari, Hon. Justice M.M. Akanbi, Hon. Justice Commaisse, Hon. Justice Ayo Salami and a host of other erudite and astute legal luminaries who his Lordship communed with between 1993 and 2006 before he went to the Court of Appeal.

Conversely, it is apposite to state that other noble Lords at the Apex Court and other superior courts of records possess these enviable experience and finesse.

It is interesting to also note that Hon.

Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad was at the Court of Appeal several years before the former Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Onnoghen was appointed as a Justice of the Court of Appeal. However, due to quota system, Onnoghen was elevated to the Supreme Court before Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad.

It may also interest you to know that the Chief Justice of the Federation is a wellread, astute and circumspect justice whose decisions have contributed immensely to the progressive development of the Nigerian legal system. The case of DokuboAsari v. FRN (2007) LPELR-958(SC) easily comes to mind in this regard, wherein his Lordship eruditely held that:

“The corporate existence of Nigeria as a united, harmonious, indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation, is greater than any citizen’s liberty or right. Once the security of this nation is in jeopardy and it survives in pieces rather than in peace, the individual’s liberty or right may not even exist.”

Though as crystal clear and as eloquent as the above pronouncement is, we are aware that it has been misrepresented in some quarters. However, the indelible impact of the pronouncement in our jurisprudence remains undeniable. What this presupposes is that the soundness of a judge is only known by his judgment and it is quite sad that most people do not take time to read these judgments and rulings before making uninformed conclusions.

The Imperative to Safeguard Confidence in the Judiciary

It suffices to state that the court is not a timorous institution that would be cowed into ineluctably withdrawing into its shell in a snail-like manner whenever allegation of bias or likelihood of bias is made against it. If it were to be so, the society at large and the law in particular would be the worse for it. The judicial oath of the judex enjoins him to do justice to all manner of persons without fear or favour, affection or ill-will. Thus, aspersion must not be cast on the judiciary on the heels of political hoax.

It is necessary to also stress that the exalted bench is not a place for every Tom, Dick and Harry but distinguished members of the bar. This informs the reason why judges are revered as demi-gods and regarded as infallible. See the case of Ajonuma & Ors Vs Nwosu & Ors (2014) LPELR 24015 (CA), where it was held:

“I think this is one appeal that throws up the need to emphasize that every judge should act the master of his own court, and should not allow any counsel/person (no matter how high) to teleguide and dictate to the court, how to conduct its proceeding/ procedure, in the light of its rules and law.” See the case of MFA & Ors Vs Inongha (2014) 22010 (SC), where my lord, Ngwuta JSC said, “The court has a duty to guard against an attempt by any of the parties to make an ass of the law and its rules.”

One must also emphasis the fact that the litmus test for the determination of the confidence or otherwise of the public in the judiciary should not be based on political matters or sentiments in order not to bend the truth by its elbow.

As a legal practitioner with several matters at the three tiers of court (High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court), I know as a fact that the cause list of these various courts are filled with cases ranging from banking, matrimonial, criminal, contract to other non-political matters and the decisions of the courts are being obeyed without parties making a heavy weather of same.

-Dr. Ajulo is the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Egalitarian Mission for Africa and Managing Partner, Castle of Law, Abuja