By Kenneth Atavti
Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has declared that the complex nature of the Nigerian society makes it eminent that the Judiciary must work to catch up with societal changes to make the law more relevant to democracy.
The CJN who made this observation on Monday at the 2022 All Nigeria Judges Conference of the Lower Courts, held at National Judicial Institute, NJI, Abuja, noted that no country can efficiently run a democratic system of government without a functional judicial system.
“Contrary to the popular belief that the role of the Judiciary is merely the interpretation of law and adjudicating disputes, the Judiciary is in fact a bastion of hope and order in the society. Consequently,” he said.
He thus called for strengthened and robust synergy between the three arms of government, adding that “a house divided against itself cannot stand”.
In his welcome address, Administrator of the NJI, Justice Salisu Garba noted that since inception, the conference has provided a platform for Judges of the Lower Courts to review and assess the state of the Judiciary, and profter solutions to the many challenges being faced in the delivery of justice.
“There is no gainsaying that the Judiciary occupies a primal position in every society and its relevance in the continued survival of every nation is one that can neither be denied or overemphasized”.
Speaking on the theme “Enhancing the Role of the Judiciary in Nation Building”, he hoped that the conference would help drive discussions towards how to better position he judiciary for greater impact and effective service delivery.
He added that the NJI has worked hard to improve the performance of all judges through capacity building, and has explored collaboration with other public institutions.
