NJC bars judges on trial , under probe of high profile crimes from judicial function

The National Judicial Council (NJC), on Thursday resolved that judicial officers shall not be standing trial for alleged corruption related offences and be performing judicial functions at the same time.
The Council also decided that it will ensure that judicial officers who are being investigated for alleged high profile criminal offences do not perform judicial functions until their cases are concluded.

NJC took the decision at its 79th Meeting held in Abuja on November 2nd and 3rd  2016.

NJC decision was a shift from the position earlier taken by the Chief Justice of Nigeria,(CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, who presided over the meeting.

The CJN had insisted after the arrest of  Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and John Okoro of the Supreme Court; Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, and Justice Muazu Pindiga of the Federal High Court, Gombe Division on 7 and 8 October by Department of State Security (DSS) who also searched Justice Nnamdi Dimgba’s residence that the council would not ask them to step aside while investigation was ongoing.

The NJC was silent and did not mention the names of the arrested judges  but assured “that Judicial Officers who are being investigated for alleged high profile criminal offences do not perform judicial functions until their cases are concluded.”

Mainwhile, the National Judicial Council yesterday commenced implementation of specific aspects of the National Judicial Policy which came into force in April 2016 and was launched on Monday 24th  October, 2016.

A statement signed by Soji Oye the Acting Director of Information said the Council has set-up a Transparency and Anti-Corruption Policy Implementation Committee with  Justice E. O. Ayoola, a retired  Justice of the Supreme Court as Chairman.
While Justice Kashim Zannah, Chief Judge of Borno State and Abubakar B. Mahmoud, (SAN) the President of Nigeria Bar Association are members.

The statement explained that Section 6 of the National Judicial Policy aims at putting in place multifaceted strategies and guidelines that will ensure transparency and eliminate corruption in the Judiciary.
It seeks, amongst other measures, to provide a platform and opportunity to citizens who profess factual and credible knowledge of information on the nature and modalities of corruption in the judicial system to ventilate such, he added.