The Rivers State Governor, His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged Nigerian judges to consider the broader impact of their rulings on the polity, saying law, order and national development are tied to the quality and integrity of justice delivered by the courts.
Governor Fubara gave the charge on Sunday while declaring open the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The conference, themed “Beyond Limits”, drew senior lawyers, judges and international guests to the Rivers State capital.
The Executive Governor said the judiciary must ensure that truth prevails at all times, regardless of the status or political affiliation of parties before the court.
“We cannot continue to insulate our laws from today’s reality; neither should justice remain shackled by unjust precedents, technicalities, inadequate access, undue delays, slavish adherence to rigid processes, political manipulation, or brazen corruption,” Fubara stated.
“The prevalence of these serious impediments to justice in our polity has damaged and continues to damage the reputation of the Judiciary and the bar.”
Governor Fubara noted that in a democracy, the legal system defines the relationship between government, institutions and citizens.
Beyond upholding the rule of law, he said the judiciary is central to democracy, good governance and economic development.
“The courts are not merely venues for resolving social disputes, they serve as the ultimate refuge for all, including the common man, to pursue true justice, accountability, human dignity and the enforcement of their legal and constitutional rights,” he said.
He added that the ultimate aim of law is to protect citizens by ensuring equality before the law, safeguarding fundamental human rights, and creating an environment conducive to socioeconomic activities and national transformation.
“Law, order, peace and meaningful progress prevail wherever the law is treated as sovereign, whereas denying the sanctity of the rule of law, true democracy and good governance negates the very logic of civilised existence and is a recipe for social disaster,” the Governor said.
Fubara urged judges not to be “mere apologists or conformists” if they are to remain guardians of democracy and the rule of law.
He said public confidence in the judiciary will grow only when judges demonstrate sound knowledge of the law, excellent legal reasoning, courage, commitment and integrity to hold both government and citizens accountable to the Constitution.
“This is perhaps the only way to ensure that justice is not merely an ideal but one that can transform our society by being present in the life of our nation and of every citizen, including those at society’s margins, not just the privileged few,” he said.
“In times of uncertainty, particularly when political power attempts to overreach the Constitution and the rule of law, it is the courage of the legal profession that can intervene to nip such aberrations in the bud.”
Addressing lawyers directly, Governor Fubara urged them, as ministers in the temple of justice, to rise above constraints to protect the Constitution and advance citizens’ rights to democracy and good governance.
“In Rivers State, we understand what it means to push beyond limits. We have walked through the furnace of power, may have been bruised, yet remain unbowed in our determination to safeguard our unity, peace and progress and are more resolved than ever in our commitment to delivering the dividends of democracy to our people,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address, former President of Liberia, Mr. George Weah, emphasized the critical role of the bar and bench in safeguarding citizens’ rights and freedoms. He called on lawyers and judges to remain impartial.
Weah warned that threats to democracy do not only come from military force or leaders who refuse to hand over power, but also from weakened judicial institutions.
“Democracy doesn’t end on election night, it is tested every single day. Democracy cannot survive on strong men but on strong institutions,” the former Liberian leader said.
He described as a dangerous threat to democracy, governments that present themselves as democratic but are corrupt and in collusion with judges to undermine the rule of law and manipulate society.
He concluded that every serious nation needs an independent judiciary protected by a fearless bar.
