A colloquium with the theme ‘Judicial Office as a Public Trust’ has been held in honour of the recently retired Chief Judge of Nigeria, Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, reports THISDAY.

Speaking at the colloquium, Judge Olayinka Ayoola, chairperson of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, said that the three essential characteristics for society to benefit from a judge’s work were integrity, learning and industry. He urged judges to continue building on Uwais’ successes and noted the numerous roles required of judges as agents of social, political and economic stability in society. He also criticised lazy, timid and ignorant judges and called for a more vigorous screening process of selecting judicial officers. The Executive Director of First Bank of Nigeria emphasised the important role of judges as custodians of the peoples’ fundamental rights and guardians of the constitution, and in maintaining a balance between government’s various wings. He added that any perception of political influence rendered judgments suspect. The United Bank for Africa’s legal adviser noted that the public’s greatest single expectation of the judiciary was the swift dispensation of justice.
Full THISDAY report