Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud MohammedThe Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, has debunked the claim by the Nigerian Bar Association that he prevented the consideration of Senior Advocates of Nigeria for appointment as justice of the Supreme Court.
The CJN, in a statement by his media aide, Ahuraka Isah, on Thursday said the procedure for the recent appointment of justices of the apex was strictly followed.
The NBA had reportedly in a communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Council meeting in Jos, accused the leadership of the Judiciary of deliberately obstructing the senior lawyers from being appointed to the Supreme Court bench.
But the CJN said on Thursday that the National Judicial Council chaired by him complied with “the new Revised National Judicial Council Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the Appointment of Judicial Officers of all Superior Courts of Record in Nigeria 2014″.
The statement quoted the CJN as adding, “On assumption of office as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, I directed the National Judicial Council to implement the new Revised NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the Appointment of Judicial Officers of all Superior Courts of Record in Nigeria 2014; and they have strictly been observed in all appointments to all the superior courts so far made’’
“Rule 3 (6) of the Guidelines is unambiguous because it stipulated the judicial officer’s appointment to a higher bench to be determined among other requirements of the number of judgements delivered”, the CJN said.
Justice Mohammed said the provision stated unequivocally thus, “and in the case of appointment from the Bar, evidence of 6 contested cases in the last 5 years; (ii) sound knowledge of law, (iii) seniority at the Bar and or the Bench, (iv) Federal Character or geographical spread and where necessary and possible, without compromising the independence of the judiciary or allowing politics to permeate or influence the appointment”
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