Lagos – A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN, Mr Sylva Ogwemoh, on Thursday said that judges should earn their salaries based on the number of cases they handle.
Ogwemoh stated this at the 2015 National Association of Judiciary Correspondents (NAJUC) lecture with the theme, “Effective Justice System As Panacea For Change.’’
“It takes a lazy judge to condone a lazy lawyer. To encourage hard work, I suggest that the salaries of judges should be paid based on the volume of cases adjudicated.”
Another speaker, Mr Babatunde Fashanu ,SAN, said effective justice delivery was not the only way of solving Nigeria’s problems.
Fashanu said: “It is very important that we get our justice system right. There are very courageous judges, especially in the Lagos State judiciary.
“Judges must be well paid for them to work well.”
Dr Gbenga Ojo of the Faculty of Law, Lagos State University (LASU), described inconsistencies in the judgments delivered by judges of the Court of Appeal as worrisome and condemnable.
He suggested that a central portal should be created for the appellate court judges to exchange ideas.
According to Ojo, legal practitioners are not doing enough in ensuring effective justice system in the country.
“There is, therefore, the need for continuous legal training for stakeholders in the Nigerian legal system.
“The menace of corruption must be fought holistically if it must be eradicated.
“There is the need to deploy massively, Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the practice of law in Nigeria.
“Appeal Court judgments must be made consistent at all times.
“There is also the need to have specialised judges for specialised cases. I am also suggesting that there is the need for specialised courts for financial crimes.”
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade, represented by the Deputy Chief of Registrars, Mrs A.O. Okunnuga, said journalism had contributed significantly to sustainable growth and human development in the country.
“The theme of this year’s lecture is apt and in tandem with our programmes and desire for growth and transformation in the state judiciary.
“Our various reforms and innovative programmes are geared towards advancing the course of justice and to ensure quick and effective dispensation of justice.”
In his address of welcome, the Ikeja Branch Chairman of NAJUC, Mr Akinwale Akintunde, noted that this year’s lecture was designed to provide an avenue for taking a critical look at the state of affairs of the nation, especially the judiciary.
“The theme of this year’s lecture became imperative in view of the role the judiciary plays in the over all development of any nation.
“The current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is saddled with the task of repositioning government structures for effective and efficient performance in line with acceptable standards all over the world.
“We believe that the revolutionary change being advocated by President Buhari cannot be achieved without an effective justice system,” he said.
