Petitions: NJC sets up seven committees to probe judicial officers, dismisses case against Mary Peter Odili

…….bars judicial officers from switching

The National Judicial Council (NJC) says it has set up seven committees to probe petitions written against judicial officers.

In a statement on Friday, NJC’s director of information, Soji Oye, said the decision was reached during meetings held on Wednesday and Thursday.

According to Oye, the council considered reports from various investigation committees and preliminary complaints assessment committees, on petitions written against 33 judicial officers from the court of appeal and state high courts.

He said the council agreed with recommendations to empanel investigation committees against serving judges of different states.

“Petition against the remaining judicial officers were either dismissed for lack of merit, lack of diligent prosecution, withdrawal of the petition, being subjudice and for the subject judge having retired from service,” the statement reads.

Even though the NJC did not disclose names of the judges under probe, it, however, revealed that they are “judicial Officers from the Court of Appeal and State High Courts.”

The NJC disclosed that petitions against 26 others, among whom included a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Mary Peter Odili, were dismissed.

“Petitions against the remaining Judicial Officers were either dismissed for lack of merit, lack of diligent prosecution, withdrawal of the petition, being subjudice and for the subject Judge having retired from service.

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The Council also came up with a policy barring judicial officers from switching from high courts to the customary courts of appeal and vice versa.

However, the council added that the only exception is when a new customary court of appeal is established in a state.

“Judges who indicate interest to go to the customary court of appeal will be allowed to proceed,” the council said.

“Once established, the candidates for the headship of the court must be drawn from that court only, even if all the judges of the court are junior to their counterparts in other courts.”