A retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili, has said that some Nigerian judges escape punishment because petitions filed against them often lack concrete evidence and material facts.
Justice Odili said the National Judicial Council will only punish a judicial officer where allegations of misconduct or corruption are supported by credible evidence.
She stated this on Thursday at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, during the South-East Regional Security Summit organised by the Federal Ministry of Defence.
The former Supreme Court Justice said public concerns about the justice system were understandable, but stressed that complaints against judges must be properly presented before the NJC.
According to her, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the NJC attend to petitions against judicial officers, but many petitions fail because they are not backed by the necessary facts and proof.
“A lot of concerns have been made in the society about whether justice is what it should be. Some people have grouses about some judges; please send your petitions to the National Judicial Council,” she said.
“The Chief Justice of Nigeria attends to every petition that comes against any judicial officer, but some petitions come in watery form without facts, without the material support with which that petition is to be attended to,” she added.
Justice Odili noted that judges accused of misconduct are also entitled to fair hearing, adding that weak or unsupported petitions give accused judicial officers room to defend themselves and escape liability.
“Remember, the judge you are accusing or you thought has infracted has a right to a fair hearing. So, he can extricate himself from the condemnation or the accusations if the petition is watery and does not have the necessary facts for which it can be handled,” she said.
She urged Nigerians who are dissatisfied with what happens in court to submit petitions to the NJC, but warned that such petitions must be supported with concrete evidence.
“Once your petitions are verified and they have the necessary credence, that judge will get the necessary punishment,” Justice Odili said.
The retired jurist assured Nigerians that the judiciary would continue to play its role in promoting justice, peace and national security.
