Delta State Chief Judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro says the State Judiciary will continue to carry the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, along in the process of appointing judicial officers in the State.
There have been insinuations of the NBA being sidelined in the appointment of judges in the past, a development the Association said has serious implications for justice dispensation in the state.
But while receiving the newly elected Executive Officers of the Warri branch of the NBA over the weekend in his office in Asaba, Justice Umukoro said under his watch, a robust policy of inclusiveness has been adopted and implemented in the appointment of judges in the state.
The Delta CJ explained that the policy was in recognition of the indispensable individual roles of the bar and the bench in justice dispensation.
“What we want to achieve in Delta State is a situation where we have a working and responsive justice delivery system. And for that to happen, inputs from all parties involved must be fully integrated. I see the NBA as very key in this effort and as such, the State Judiciary will always carry them along in the process of appointing judges,” he said.
Congratulating the new officers and commending the NBA Warri branch for organizing a hitch-free election that ushered in the executive, Umukoro assured them of his support in the discharge of their duties.
On the new directive making only registrars who are lawyers to sign for Commissioner of Oat, Justice Umukoro explained that the policy became imperative because non-lawyers registrars have abused the privilege, stressing that it was high time they sanitized the system to restore public confidence.
The Chief Judge, promised the NBA that he would look into the disused state of Warri High Court and the need to upgrade the Judiciary archives when funds were available, even as he wished the new executive a remarkable successful tenure.
Earlier, the new executive officers of the Nigerian Bar Association, Warri branch, led by its chairman Chief Emmanuel Uti said that it was the tradition of the branch to pay a visit to the Chief Judge when new officers were elected, to seek his fatherly advice and blessings.
The chairman appreciated the Chief Judge for the unprecedented laudable innovations and reforms introduced in the State Judiciary, promising the branch’s cooperation.
He recommended for the employment of more lawyer registrars for effective implementation of the new directive, inclusiveness in the appointment of judges, even as he called for training and retraining of support staff to be more efficient and productive in their line of duties.
