Lawyers Advise Judiciary On Decision-Making In Religious Matters

Some lawyers in Lagos on Sunday advised the judiciary against rulings and judgments that could promote religious bigotry.

In separate interviews in Lagos, the lawyers advised the third arm of government, particularly the Supreme Court, to ensure that its rulings and judgments would promote religious harmony since such decisions would be final.

Spurgeon Ataene, also a social critic, said court decisions must reflect Nigeria’s status as a secular state.

Mr Ataene, the head of the Civil Litigation Department of L’avocat Legal Practitioners, said although the country’s constitution provided for freedom of worship, no right was absolute.

According to him, a right must be subject to the interest of those it seeks to let loose.

Chris Ayiyi, the principal partner of Ayiyi Chambers, advised the judiciary against controversial rulings and judgments to avoid heating the polity.

A former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikorodu branch, Bayo Akinlade, said any court decision that seems to protect only a particular religion could encourage others to seek recognition anyhow.

“It is a slippery slope in the sense that we may have a lot of other religions and cultures coming out to establish their own rights and self-determination,” Mr Akinlade said.

Marculay Ugwummadu, a former national president of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, said that rulings and judgements seeming to protect a particular religion would be blow on the secularity of Nigeria.

He appealed to the courts, especially the Supreme Court, to be more careful while handling issues bordering on religion since its decisions would be final.

“The Supreme Court is final, not because it is infallible; it is infallible because it is final,” he said.

Also, Ige Asemudara, a Lagos-based lawyer, urged that Supreme Court decisions should not over-stretch the limit of rights to religion.

The lawyer added that courts, in their decisions on religious issues, should be sensitive to the religious rights of others.

He appealed to the Supreme Court to review any of its decisions posing a threat to the country’s unity.(NAN)