1,465 cases disposed in 2017/2018 legal year – Benue CJ

Omum, in a speech delivered on Monday in Makurdi, at a ceremony to mark the commencement of the 2018/2019 legal year, also said that 3,750 civil and criminal cases were filed at the Magistrate’s Courts during the year. According to him, 7,814 cases were brought forward from the previous years, adding that the Magistrate’s Courts disposed of “only 3,704 cases”. Omum said that the Area Courts disposed of 594 cases out of 3,040 before them, while a total of 54 appeals were handled by the Customary Court of Appeal out of which 24 were disposed of. The Chief Judge said that most criminal cases before the Magistrate’s Courts were outside their jurisdiction, and urged the Attorney-General to speedily move them to the appropriate courts. Omum attributed the high number of cases to rising populations coupled with the human quest for crime and wealth. He appealed to the state government to improve critical infrastructure in the courts in view of the rising number of cases and particularly emphasised the need to appoint more judicial officers, magistrates and judges. “This gloomy picture of the performances of the courts is as a result of the hard conditions under which the judges operate. “We are also constrained by the fact that we have not been granted financial independence. “The state of our courts is also worrisome. The structures are deplorable and seats are, in most cases, non-existent,” he lamented. The Chief Judge urged the government to support the judiciary to dispense justice so as to ward off lawlessness and anarchy. Also speaking, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Mike Gusa, promised that the ministry would work with the judiciary toward effective delivery of justice. Gusa, who was represented by the State Solicitor-General, Mrs Christy Anagende, also promised that the ministry was working toward making the judiciary financially independent. Mr Bernard Hon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)), who also spoke at the ceremony, urged lawyers to work hard work and to avoid making excuses for failure. Mr Michael Gunduor, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Gboko Branch, in his remarks, urged the justice ministry to always issue stern directives that would fast-track trials. Gunduor commended the judiciary for not allowing the paucity of funds to ground the justice system.]]>