Kogi State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Josiah Majebi, has inaugurated High Court appeal panels with a charge to lawyers to maintain their integrity as ministers in the temple of justice.
Justice Majebi gave the charge at the judiciary headquarters in Lokoja on Friday.
The panels, which began sitting immediately after the inauguration across the state, started hearing appeals emanating from lower courts in the state.
DAILY POST further learnt that this is the first of the quarterly High Court appeal sessions for the year 2025.
The Kogi Chief Judge, who argued that the vast area of coverage of the jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice would have been enough to discourage the appeal session in the face of scarce resources and the current fasting observed by both Muslim and Christian faithful, said meeting the schedule of quarterly sittings of the panels was imperative and was made possible under “reasonably conducive sacrifices” by Judges of the state.
Addressing key areas related to the smooth administration of justice in the state, the Chief Judge harped on the importance of a harmonious professional relationship between the Bench and the Bar, stressing the essence of ethics and professionalism.
He added that the judiciary would always provide an enabling environment for unhindered adjudication in the state by addressing genuine complaints.
Going further, the Chief Judge frowned upon frivolous requests for the transfer of cases from Judges by litigants, a development over which he cautioned lawyers, hinting that it touches on the integrity of the Bar.
“The number of requests for transfer of cases is becoming too much, and you find out that they lack basis. How can lawyers be writing complaints for litigants to sign against a Judge or proceeding? It touches on the integrity of the Bar.
“Once your client gives you a brief, it should be taken that every other step he takes before the court, during the course of the case, is that of the lawyer and not that of the litigant. The court sees those steps as touching on your integrity.
“It is unimaginable that a client can write for a Judge to be changed simply because three rulings in a matter went against him. I have handled a case where up to eight rulings went against a party, and eventually, the judgment favored the same party. So your reputation does not lie in the number of cases you have won but in your role as a true minister in the temple of justice.
“Please maintain the integrity of the Bar. Let the litigant know the difference between you and them; don’t let them overshadow you, and always ask them to be patient with the court.
“We are here inaugurating these panels today because you were not satisfied with the decisions of the lower courts. If you are still not satisfied with the decisions of these panels, you are at liberty to go to the Court of Appeal and from there to the Supreme Court. So I plead with the Nigerian Bar Association to look at these issues critically.”
The Chief Judge disclosed that some courts in the state, which were not functioning in the past due to the dilapidation of their structures, have been renovated and have resumed activities.
He reiterated the determination of the High Court of Justice to dispense justice fairly and within time.