Protocols:
It is with all sense of delight that I welcome your Lordships to the Opening Ceremony of the Hybrid Refresher Course for Judicial Officers of the Superior Courts of Record, a course that is one of the statutory continuing judicial education programmes of the National Judicial Institute, arising from the Institute’s enabling Act .
Your Excellency, the President of the Senate, My Lords, participants, invited guests, the Annual Refresher Courses hosted by this great Institute can clearly be categorized as seeking to achieve the following objectives:
- To broaden and expose judges of the superior courts of record to more practical aspects of their judicial functions in terms of interpreting and applying substantive provisions of the constitution and other existing laws as well as protecting human rights and determining the rights, duties and obligation of parties in a dispute.
Re-evaluating best approaches to improve performance of judicial officers of the Superior Courts based on the gaps found in the course of applying the recommendations or conclusions.
- conclusions drawn from previous continuing education programmes;
- To enable the judiciary as a institution made up of Judges and court personnel to develop and manage a culture and tradition of respect for its independence in the course of collaborating and interacting with the other arms of government and other stakeholders in the justice process
- The Course is equally implemented with the intention of taking stock of the impact that judicial education programmes have had on the performance of Judges in their respective jurisdictions and to measure the levels with which knowledge gained at such previous events have led to changes in attitudes
- In order to achieve the objectives as highlighted above, it became necessary to formulate the theme of this year’s Refresher Course as: Reaffirming Judicial Commitments to Justice Delivery and Modernizing judicial Practices and Procedures. The theme is a call on participants to remain committed to fulfilling their obligations which they had sworn both under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.
- Additionally, considering the intricacies of the adjudicatory functions under the constitutional and the rule of law, the imperative to the function is the need for a continued reaffirmation on the part of the judiciary that it is still committed to delivering justice and reassuring citizens that the social order under which the democratic State called Nigeria exists is based on the ideals of freedom, equity and justice.
- The above being the case, it is important for me to say that with the level of support we enjoy from the Board of Governors of our dear Institute, we will continue to work tirelessly to develop and implement the contents of judicial education programmes that will make the most recent legal information, knowledge and literature available for judicial officers.
- The topical discussions and clarifications that will take place in the course of the programme will definitely bring out recommendations about the best approaches for which justice will be dispensed in the context of the cases that are filed in the courts, hence boosting public confidence and trust in the judiciary. It is my belief that you will all take advantage of the refresher course to ensure that the overall objectives highlighted above are achieved.
- Finally, I would like to thank the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Chief Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, CFR, who despite the busy schedule of the office of the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria warmly accepted our invitation to be part of the faculty of resource persons at this Refresher Course.
- I wish to profusely thank my Lord, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute, Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON for his unwavering support for the successful implementation of all programmes of the National Judicial Institute.
- I will not forget to also thank the Chairman of the Education Committee of the National Judicial Institute Hon Justice M. K. O. Kekere-Ekun, Justice of the Supreme Court the entire Education Committee of the Board for painstakingly reviewing the draft contents of the programmes of the Institute for the entire year 2024. I thank all the Justices of the Supreme Court who are the moderators of the various sessions at this course. I acknowledge with gratitude, the presence and contributions of the President of the Court of Appeal,
- I will not forget to also thank the Chairman of the Education Committee of the National Judicial Institute Hon Justice M. K. O. Kekere-Ekun, Justice of the Supreme Court the entire Education Committee of the Board for painstakingly reviewing the draft contents of the programmes of the Institute for the entire year 2024. I thank all the Justices of the Supreme Court who are the moderators of the various sessions at this course.
- I acknowledge with gratitude, the presence and contributions of the President of the Court of Appeal, Hon Justice Monica Dongbam Memsen, and indeed all Heads of Courts. I want to thank all the Resource Persons, participants and invited guests for your presence at this Refresher Course.
- It is now my honour to invite my Lord, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute, Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON to present his Keynote Address and formally declare the Hybrid Refresher Course for Judicial Officers of the Superior Courts of Record for 2024 open.
- I thank you all.