Pursuit justice, it does not happen in vacuum, Vice President tells Body of Benchers
By Andrew Orolua
The Vice President Kashim Shettima, has said the pursuit of justice does not happen in a vacuum, so we must work harder in pursuit of it
It is shaped by the gatekeepers and personnel of the law, which is why the Body of Benchers is an essential pillar of our sovereign existence, he said.
The Vice President said this on Wednesday at the Body of Benchers Annual Lecture and Public Presentation of the Body of Benchers Law Report, on March 25, 2025.
He said that: “Time and again, we are reminded that a nation is only as accountable, fair, and orderly as the people who make, enforce, and interpret its laws. Each of us is a stakeholder in this democratic arrangement.”
Shettima said that the foundation of every great nation is built on the ethical sensitivity of the institutions that uphold justice. Such moral requirements prepare us to refuse to bend to divisive sentiments and to stand firm against the currents of expediency.
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This distinguished assembly of jurists, legal practitioners, and custodians of justice serves as a reminder of this fundamental value.
He said “one of the gravest mistakes we make is believing that justice is the wish of the loudest party. In reality, justice is just as essential to the most voiceless individual. It is the clearest affirmation that a nation is not governed by a mob.”
“That is why we recognise that the mandate entrusted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was affirmed by a judiciary that did not yield to the weight of vested interests—a judiciary that understood that the fate of a nation is too sacred to be intimidated by any party or bartered for compromise.”
“Laws are not mere technicalities; they are the scaffolding of civilisation” adding that “without laws, there is no order.” and “without order, there is no society”.
“Every time justice is delayed, every time the law is bent to serve the interests of agents of anarchy, and every time institutions waver in the face of blackmail, we erode the very foundation of our nation. And if that foundation crumbles, no matter how high we have built, everything falls apart.”
He said “this is why the legal profession carries a burden unlike any other. You, my lords, are not just interpreters of the law; you are custodians of justice. But this role is not without its burdens. The expectations are high, and the temptations are many.,”
“Yet, I urge you, my lords, to remain steadfast”. To borrow the words of the eminent jurist Lord Atkin, “Justice is not a cloistered virtue; it must be allowed to suffer the scrutiny of reasonable men.”
The Vice President said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has demonstrated that the best way for our tripartite system of government to function is when we do not treat one another as enemies, but as allies dedicated to the republican virtues of the nation and the advancement of our democracy.
