In order to encourage independence of the judiciary, the National
Judicial Council, NJC, has barred judges and other court staff from
accepting any form of gift(s) from any one or any arm of government.This
is also to curb corruption and other unethical conducts among judicial
officers and court staff members, especially due to the recent raiding
of homes and arrests of some Supreme and High Court judges.
The new measures, which are part of a new NJP to be launched in Abuja
today, Monday Oct. 23 was initiated to improve on the existing NJC NJP
and a similar policy by the National Judicial Institute, NJI.
The existing Code of Conduct for judicial officers states that:
“A judge and members of his/her family shall neither ask for nor accept
any gift, bequest, favour, or loan on account of anything done or
omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties.
“But, the provision in the new policy particularly bars judges and other
court staff from accepting gifts from other arms of government, and
made compliance mandatory.”
“The Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and Code of Conduct for Court
Employees, with the amendment discouraging acceptance of gifts from
other arms of government, should be such as would be adequate.
Compliance with their provisions shall be mandatory.”
“The judiciary shall not resort to lobbying in ensuring that the
legislature and the executive perform their constitutional
responsibilities. “All arms of government should respect the doctrine of
Separation of Powers as enshrined in the Constitution.” The policy also
introduced measures to further keep complaints against judges and other
court staff from the media and public domain.
“It shall be the policy of the judiciary on complaints of misconduct
against judicial officers or employees of the judiciary shall not be
leaked or published in the media. “Where complaints on allegations
against judicial officers and court employees are submitted for
investigation, the complainant or complainants shall be made to give an
undertaking not to do anything to prejudice investigation or actions
that may be taken.
“The institutions of the judiciary concerned with investigation or/and
implementation of decisions taken on such complaints shall be obliged to
cease further action where such complaints are leaked or discussed in
the media.
“Where such a leakage is occasioned after the submission of a complaint,
then all investigations on the complaints shall be suspended, the
leakage investigated and if such leakage is from the complainant or
through other parties known to such a complainant, such a complaint
should be discarded.
“Where such leakage is occasioned prior to the presentation of the
complaint and the source of the leakage is found to be the complainant
or through other parties known to and connected with the complainant,
then such complaint shall not be accepted, upon submission, by the
appropriate disciplinary body.
“In conclusion of investigation, the disciplinary bodies may allow
public disclosure of their findings, subject to following the proper
channels.”
Source: Vanguard