Date Published: 03/02/10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Abuja, 25 February 2010 

Nigerian and foreign judges and experts propose ways to improve performance evaluation and performance management in the judiciary

Nigerian and foreign judges and experts have proposed ways to improve performance evaluation and management in the country's judiciary. This was done during the International Conference on Judicial Performance Evaluation – which took place in Abuja on February 23-24.

The conference, which attracted more than 120 senior leaders of the Nigerian Judiciary, was organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and financed by the European Union (EU). The aim was to contribute to the process of performance evaluation in the Nigerian judiciary, thereby increasing public trust in the judiciary and enhancing the integrity, accountability and transparency of the justice system. 

The participants recommended a range of measures which would help to build and improve upon the current evaluation system practised by the National Judicial Council, with a view to supporting the Nigerian judiciary’s constant strive towards excellence. The meeting recommended, among others, that the National Judicial Council should establish a working group to take stock of all assessments conducted by different players, including civil society, in recent years. 

It should further revisit the objectives and goals of performance evaluation as well as the criteria and methodology applied to performance evaluation. The meeting also suggested that a holistic performance evaluation system should seek to capture the perspectives of key clients of the courts such as lawyers, prosecutors and court users – in order to further enhance overall confidence in the Nigerian judiciary. 

Senior leaders of the Nigerian Judiciary at the conference included the Hon. Justice M.L. Uwais, former Chief Justice of Nigeria; Justice M. M Akanbi, former President of the Court of Appeal; Justice Babalakin, Justice A. I Iguh and other members of the National Judicial Council, as well as the representatives of the Court of Appeal, the Federal High Court, and the Chief Judges of most of the Nigerian States. Senior Justices from other African countries were also in attendance, including the Deputy President of the Supreme Court of South Sudan.  

Participants debated intensely for two days the current performance evaluation regime applied by the National Judicial Council. While judges agreed that the fear of the Babalakin Committee responsible for the evaluation of judges was the “first step towards wisdom”. They also felt that the Nigerian judiciary has outgrown the current system. New measures of performance evaluation complementing the current system are required.  

The Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloysius I. Katsina-Alu, represented by the Hon. Justice I.T. Mohammed, stressed the need to review the process of evaluating the performance of Nigerian judges in line with the methods adopted in other jurisdictions. He further said that the "National Judicial Council will be disposed to fresh and better ideas”.  

In his opening remarks, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, represented by the Solicitor General, Abdullahi Ahmed Yola, expressed his hope, that the Conference would reappraise the current performance evaluation mechanism with a view to reforming the process to engender greater productivity and service delivery to the people.  

In his goodwill message, the Charge d’Affairs of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria, Mr. Pierre Philippe, represented by Alain Joaris, commended the organisers of the event. He observed that a recent review of the impact of justice sector reform, to which the EU had contributed, had shown encouraging improvements in the judiciary in terms of access to justice, delivery independence, fairness, impartiality, integrity, and oversight. He stressed however that more could be done and that the European Union is ready to further support the justice sector under the 10 th European Development Fund (2008-2013).  

The European Union is currently supporting the Judiciary in Nigeria under the Project "Support to Law Enforcement against Economic and Financial Crimes and the Judiciary" which is funded by a grant of about Naira 5.2 billion (€ 24.7 million) from the European Development Fund. The project is being implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and has a duration of 4 years (2006-2010). The project contributes to strengthen judicial integrity and capacity in 10 pilot states, providing the necessary technical and material support. 

For further Information, please contact: Mr. Oliver Stolpe, UNODC, on 0808 22 69 087 and Mr. Kelechi Onyemaobi, Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria, Abuja, on 09-5244000-7; 0803-311-3017.