Judge: Why Oyo needs more lawyers

A High Court judge in Oyo State Bayo Taiwo has called on the state government to employ more lawyers in order to strengthen the personnel base of the government in dispensing justice.

Taiwo made the call at this year’s public lecture and dinner of the Oyo Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Its theme was: Fair and Speedy Dispensation of Justice: the Role of the Enforcement Agencies, the Judiciary and Legal Practitioners.

The lecture, the branch’s maiden edition, held at the Faculty of Law Auditorium of the Ajayi Crowder University (ACU), Oyo.

Justice Taiwo said insufficient number of lawyers at the state’s Ministry of Justice was a major impediment in the speedy dispensation of Justice.

By employing more state counsels, Justice Taiwo said there would be more hands to work on the high volume of cases being handled by the ministry which will ultimately speed up the judicial process.

The judge also enjoined lawyers in the state to shun the culture of seeking needless adjournments in court, as according to him, the practice has for long been responsible for delay in justice dispensation.

Justice Taiwo noted that some lawyers were fond of indirectly increasing the length of days in which their clients suffer in prison by filing application for bail in cases they know are not bailable.

Rather, he advised the lawyers to allow their clients face the trial expeditiously to enable the case dispensed accordingly.

His words: “Why are you filling for bail for your client when you know that his case is not bailable? This only adds to his number of days of suffering inside the prison. Don’t file for unnecessary adjournments when you have a serious case at hand.

“Make sure you are smart and genuine in any tactics you are adopting while presenting your cases to the court of law. Always think of your clients and also use or adopt a tactic that will be faster or effective for your client to be out of court.

“As a lawyer, don’t be afraid to tell your client the truth about the matter: if you know that he is guilty, tell him, and also let him know the consequence of his offence so that it will give you ample opportunity to go directly to your case and stop running around for processes that you already know will not work.

“If you follow the matter straight forward, this will help the court to quickly see to the case and quickly attend to it.”

Speaking on other factors that always hinder fair, speedy dispensation of justice, the Judge added: “The issue of lack of witnesses, congestion of cases, complaints from the law enforcement agencies about logistics during investigations and others, are also jeopardising the speedy dispensation of justice.

“I therefore urge the state and Ministry of Justice to employ more lawyers to their department so it will add to the effectiveness of judicial process.”

At the lecture were several judges, lawyers and people from other walks of life. They include the Oyo State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Muktar Abimbola, who was represented by Hon. Justice Iyabo Yerima, and the Attorney General of the State Mr Seun Abimbola who was represented by Alhaji Olawale of the State Department of Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

Also present were retired Arch Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ayo Ladigbolu; Dr. Olaniyi Olayinka who represented Prof. Elijah Adewale Taiwo, the Oyo, Ibadan and Ogbomoso NBA chairmen: Messrs Olarewaju Okeyinka, Dr. Oluwole Akintayo and Mr. Abiodun Oyeyemi.