Judicial authonomy should go beyond the funding of the Judiciary.

High Chief Nelson Imoh

A Lagos based lawyer and Member of the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) High Chief Nelson Imoh on Saturday said that the quest for judicial autonomy should as a matter of importance go beyound the granting of financial autonomy, but must now also ensure that the appointment of judges by the executive arm of government should be scrapped.

LawParliament reports that JUSUN had commenced a nationwide industrial action on April 6, calling for a full implementation of Financial autonomy for the Judiciary.

Yesterday, April 16, the National leadership of JUSUN had also issued a circular directing all its branches in the 36 states of the federation to join in a peaceful protest billed for Monday April 19.

Moreso, the NBA national leadership had also issued a corresponding circular detailing Branch chairmen on the modus for the protest as wellas the demands from their respective state Governos.

Reacting to the situation, Chief Imoh told the LawParliament that the agitation for financial autonomy should go beyound its grant but must now also seek to oust the powers of the executive arm of government from appointing Judges.

He wrote:

"Judicial authonomy should go beyond the funding of the Judiciary.

"Placing the appointment of Judges at the disgusting whims and nepotistic caprices of the executive should outrightly be scrapped.

"The Bar and Bench in liason with the NJC should be the determining authorities for the appointment of Judicial officers.

"The Executive appoints Ministers, the Legislature appoints their aides and constitutes their various thieving committees, but when it comes to the Judiciary, the Executive appoints merely on the often rejected recommendations of the NJC.

"This must stop, if we are serious about the sanctity of our judiciary," he told LP