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The ruling by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Ikpeme of the Court of Appeal sitting in Awka berating a Jigawa State High Court and Imo State High Court for bringing the name of the judiciary to disrepute through their conducts is most encouraging if judicial rascality is to be curbed.
The Appeal Court, which also dismissed an application challenging the judgement of an Awka High Court of Anambra State, which declared the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Chukwuma Soludo as candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in the November 6, gubernatorial election in the state, also descended heavily on Anambra State politicians for travelling around the country, shopping for judges that would give them favourable judgements.
Justice Nwosu-Ikpeme accused Anambra politicians of shopping for judgments to enable them to contest in the November 6 governorship election.
She ruled on a motion by Chike Onyemenam counsel to Jude Okeke, who claims to be the national chairman of the APGA, seeking to stop the execution of the order made earlier on July 18 by Justice Charles C. Okaa of the Anambra State High Court in Awka directing the INEC to recognise Soludo, as the APGA candidate in the November 6 gubernatorial election in the state.
She demanded punishment for the judge of the Jigawa State High Court, Justice Ubale of Birnin Kudu, and his counterpart in the Imo State judiciary, Justice B. C. Iheka, for what she described as their unprofessional conduct by dabbling into the Anambra State gubernatorial election controversy and gave consequential judgments on it.
She also wanted the lawyers, who took the cases to the state high courts in Jigawa and Imo states disciplined for professional misbehaviour.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme was angry that Anambra politicians were going round the country shopping for judgments, rather than appear before the courts which have the territorial jurisdiction to entertain the election.
She accused some judges and lawyers of indulging such politicians to bring the legal profession into public contempt.
The Supreme Court had warned against this ugly practice it described as forum shopping. The apex court had also warned courts of coordinate jurisdiction against issuing conflicting orders.
It is high time the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) punished judicial officers and lawyers indulging in this judicial rascality.
Credit: THISDAYLIVE
