Administering oath of office and those of allegiance on the appointees, the Chief Judge Yobe state Justice Garba Nabaruma tasked them to resist corrupt practices in the conduct of their official duties. The Chief Judge said their swearing in is coming at a time the Judiciary is under scrutiny by the society and task them to maintain the prestige of the noble profession. “To the newly sworn in magistrates, I say you have come into the magistracy at a time when the entire judiciary is under serious scrutiny by the society which I know you are all aware of that. “As you sit in Judgment over the rights and obligations of others and as you determine whether an accused is guilty or innocent, the society in which you live also judges you” Justice Nabaruma said. Corrupt practices according to justice Nabaruma will discredit them and the whole judiciary making the society losses confidence in the entire system. “The dividends of corrupt practices by judicial officers have the tendency of exposing you to a lifestyle that you may grow accustomed to but you cannot, in the long run sustain. “The moment you assume that lifestyle, the lawyers and fellow judges and the society will know whether you like it or not and will hold you in contempt and will have no confidence in your ability to deliver fair decision”. Justice Nabaruma also tasked them to be courageous and fearless in the conduct of their judicial duties stressing that they should never be intimidated by anybody, no matter how highly placed. He urged them to maintain very high standard of decency and decorum, hard work, punctuality, and to respect litigants and counsels who appear before them and to always avoid company of shady characters. While the magistrates will hear and dispose appeals arising from the decisions of the trial tribunals, the Local Government petition tribunal shall have original jurisdiction to hear and determine petitions arising from the conduct of the February 11, Local Government election. The state judiciary has constituted three trial tribunal and three appeal panels, one of the senatorial zones of the state, with the option of constituting more panels of each, if the need arises.]]>