By Barrister Fabian Awhen
The opening of the legal year nationwide is marked by several events, including a church service, a brief court session, and public speeches by legal luminaries.
Significantly, the legal year serves as a period for self-renewal and appraisal by the judiciary which undoubtedly is the flagship of justice and equity in the society.
In other words, the ceremony should not be seen as a mere tokenism but a period for those on the bench and the bar to renew their commitment to upholding the sanctity of law and justice.
Agreeably, in any country that is committed to the rule of law and the ideals of justice, the judiciary has a major role to play.
This is because the rule of law signifies the absolute predominance of the regular law so that the government has no arbitrary authority over the citizens.
Simply put, it presupposes the equal subjection of all persons including those in government to the authority of the ordinary law administered by the court.
It is in this respect that judges are not only saddled with enormous powers and responsibilities, but the judiciary which is the organ under which the judges operate is held in high esteem.
Indeed, the judiciary is sacrosanct, this is why whenever it is at the centre of controversy, it gives cause for concern, to those who respect the rule of law and the role which the judiciary plays in its maintenance.
It is against this background that we urge the judiciary and all those concerned with the administration of justice to use the period to do some soul-searching and renew their pledge to guard the Constitution meticulously.
Unarguably, it is by so doing that an incorruptible and irrepressible bench can exist.
In the recent past, many Nigerians have had cause to question the integrity of the judiciary and its incorruptibility in the administration of justice in the country,
Often too, the judiciary has not been able to escape scornful criticism because it is handicapped in exercising its constitutional function.
The introduction of ouster clauses in the past did not only cripple the powers of the judiciary but rendered it impotent as a viable instrument for social justice and fair play.
Coupled with this, is the vexed issue of flouting court orders.
It is quite often stated that a mouth rarely bites the hand that feeds it except by accident.
A lot of people will take this adage as a truism while others will consider it disputable. nonetheless, its philosophical import underscores the principles of appreciation.
Impliedly, while one commends the relationship between the executive and the judiciary and the fact that judges are appointed by the executive, the importance of the independence of the judiciary cannot be overemphasized,
This means that the judiciary must not fight shy of extolling the rule of law and the ideals of justice in our society particularly now that we have a democratic government in the country.
That should be. the task before the judiciary as it marks the legal year.
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