By Edith Nwapi
Abuja – Mr Babatunde Oyefeso, a legal practitioner, on Friday, stressed the need to always consider competence as the basis for the appointment of judges and magistrates as well as other judicial officers.
Oyefeso, who is also the Vice Chairman, Abuja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), made this suggestion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
According to him, this will ensure speedy and efficient delivery of justice in the nation’s judicial system.
“If you have an incompetent lawyer, and an incompetent judge presiding over a matter, a lot of wrongs they do will affect the society.
“So to the best of my knowledge, competence and years of experience are very important in the appointment of judicial officers into the office”.
With the way the NJC and other state judicial service commissions are going about it now; a more effective system is glaring, especially with the change mantra, where dispensation of justice counts,” he said.
Oyefeso expressed satisfaction with the current system, whereby fast-tracking methods had been put in place to ensure that justice would no longer be delayed.
He said that this development was evident in the multi-door houses approach, appointment of more judges, as well as giving attention to the welfare of judges.
“There is also the need for the computerisation of the courts; a lot of the judges still write in long hand and that itself, is a challenge, if you have to take down everybody’s submissions.
“You have situations, whereby some of them will have up to 16 cases a day; all must be written in a long hand.
“Then, the question arises that when will the judge have time to go through all that were submitted to him and make his ruling or judgment as the case may be’’ .
Oyefeso maintained that competence and years of experience should determine the appointment of judges and other judicial officers.
He, however, added that the constitution specified the minimum years of practice for the appointment of a judicial officer.