The National Judicial Council,NJC, has rejected calls by the Nigeria Bar
\nAssociation, NBA, to suspend or recuse Judges whose homes were invaded by
\nthe Department of State Security, DSS, on allegation of corruption.<\/p>\n
The NJC said acting in line with NBA\u2019s suggestion would amount to
\nviolation of section 158 of the Constitution.<\/p>\n
The statement read in part, \u201c\u200eThus, the current position of the Nigerian
\nBar Association vis-\u00e0-vis its recommendation that the affected judicial
\nofficers involved in the on-going investigation of Judicial Officers by
\nthe DSS, be requested to proceed on compulsory leave until the conclusion
\nof all disciplinary proceedings against them, is unacceptable to the NJC;
\nas it breaches the 2014 Revised Judicial Discipline Regulations formulated
\nby NJC pursuant to Section 160 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal
\nRepublic of Nigeria, as amended.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is to be reiterated also that by the provisions of Section 158 of the
\n1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, NJC
\nshall not be subject to the direction or control of any other authority or
\nperson while exercising its disciplinary power of control over Judicial
\nOfficers in the Federation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe members of the public are hereby informed that the mechanism that
\nwill determine a judicial officer to be directed or requested to proceed
\non compulsory leave or be suspended from office, is a disciplinary power
\nthat NJC can only exercise after initiating disciplinary proceeding on the
\ncomplaint or petition forwarded against the Judge, after he has been found
\nculpable.<\/p>\n
\u201cTherefore, to act on the recommendation of the NBA, it is not only
\ncontrary to the provisions of Section 158 of the 1999 Constitution of the
\nFederal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, but it means NJC will direct any
\njudicial officer that has been petitioned even if the allegations
\ncontained therein are frivolous and baseless, to proceed on compulsory
\nleave or be suspended from office without complying with the rule of law.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The National Judicial Council,NJC, has rejected calls by the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, to suspend or recuse Judges whose homes were invaded by the Department of State Security, DSS, on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53983,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n