It was a gathering of jurists and eminent lawyers from across the country as they all discussed Nigeria Justice Reforms with the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, and Chief Wole Olanipekun who celebrated his 70th birthday recently at the WOC Justice Summit 2.0 in Lagos.
The summit was the second edition of the Justice Summit organised by Wole Olanipekun & Co, one of Nigeria’s foremost law firms themed, “Implementation of Justice Sector Reforms”
The speakers at the summit identified judicial autonomy and integrity of relevant stakeholders, among other factors, as critical elements of the reform process.
According to the Managing Partner, Wole Olanipekun & Co, Mr. Bode Olanipekun (SAN), the WOC Justice Summit is part of the company’s contribution to support justice delivery in Nigeria.
“We have the privilege to experience the good, very good, excellent, and not so good aspects of our justice delivery system, we, therefore, initiated the Justice Summit as a platform for critical engagement where remarkable thought leaders of distinguished pedigree, lead the discussion that enhances justice delivery in Nigeria.”
“A law firm is an institution that is underpinned by the core values of diligence, integrity and refined expertise because we believe that no value that is antithetical to these can be sustained, therefore we were very deliberate in selecting speakers at the Justice Summit to ensure that the project is subscribed to the noble standards that Nigeria can aspire to for regeneration,” he said.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during the event spoke about the slow process of dispensing justice in the country, which he insisted must be urgently addressed.
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in a Goodwill message to Wole Olanipekun & Co (WOC), called him one of the outstanding minds in the legal profession.
The Vice President stated that Olanipekun has impacted the lives of many who could not repay him, especially the less privileged. “I thank God that the tribute made today is not at his memorial service,” he said.
Osinbajo said that many conversations he had with Olanipekun dwelt mostly on the integrity of the legal profession and the integrity of the players in the legal profession.
In his goodwill message, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad who was represented by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, said Chief Olanipekun is a promoter of rule of law, who pursued every case he handled to a logical conclusion.
According to Muhammad, Olanipekun, is a man with a large heart enough to accommodate people from all walks of life. He called Olanipekun a dogged fighter of what he believed in.
He said, “It is not the number of years he has spent in the legal profession that makes him stand out, but a simple exhibition of talent endowed to him by God”.
The keynote speaker, Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun SAN, who spoke on the theme of the summit said strict adherence to rule of law and accountability should be the watchword of every judicial officer.
“When you look at the world Justice Law index, Nigeria ranks 108 out of 128 countries. The Justice system in the country, despite laudable reform efforts at Federal and State levels, continues to face multiple challenges. Significant hardship and anxiety is still the order of the day in Nigeria’s Justice Sector.
“What is glaring is that we are running a sector that is well connected on paper, but disconnected in reality. To give legitimacy to justice, accountability for the action of every role actor within the sector is critical,” he said.
The Governor of Lagos State, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in his Goodwill message, said Olanipekun has contributed immensely to the growth of Nigerian legal profession.
He said in 2002, Olanipekun was elected President of the Nigerian Bar, due to his outstanding works.
“On this occasion of your platinum jubilee, it is a time to reflect and celebrate your good health. We rejoice with you. Your contribution to the legal profession is outstanding in the many cases you have handled and won. You are worthy of emulation. We thank God it is not a celebration of life but a celebration in your time,” Sanwo-Olu eulogized Olanipekun.
During the panel session which was led by the Managing Partner, Mr. Bode Olanipekun (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), spoke on the Political Influence on Judicial appointment.
During the session, Falana advocated for a National Judicial Council headed by a retired Chief Justice of the Federation and not a sitting Chief Justice.
He gave his reason, noting that a sitting Chief Justices has loads of work, which they should be allowed to handle.
He also said that the issue of governors recommending those to be made judges should be looked into.
He said, “We must go back to where we started and change the narrative and decide the type of court system we want. If we must have a judiciary which Chief Olanipekun is advocating for, we must go back to the drawing board and take our judiciary away from the politicians”.
Falana, however, urged the Nigeria Bar Association of both states and the national level to work together to achieve “the Judiciary of our dreams”.
He also noted that the customary court has been completely abandoned, adding that customary courts are courts that handle the majority of cases from the poor.
During panel contribution, the Chief Judge of Borno State, Justice Kashim Zannah, talked about entrenching integrity and technology in the judiciary.
According to Zannah, integrity and technology are two principal issues that stand out in Justice Sector reforms. He said in the absence of integrity, everything else becomes worthless.
Zannah said that efforts have been made to immune judges to ensure that integrity was safeguarded.
“So far, the judiciary is perceived as devoid of integrity and this is as bad as Justice not being there. Issues of integrity are also bedevilling other nations of the world, I found out in a United Nations summit I attended. However, training of Judicial officers was advocated. It has been made mandatory for judicial officers to among other measures take integrity tests even in my state,” he said.
In case you missed the WOC Justice Summit 2.0, view below highlights and take away from the event. Watch the full video on: https://youtu.be/oNjjSUI1aBI
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