Pilot Law

Kwara Judiciary’s Legal Year celebration, thing of the past?

 

By Kayode Adeoti

In recent time, the question begging for answer on the lips of many legal practitioners is, ‘has the legal year celebration gone into extinction in Kwara State judiciary?’

Going by history, the legal year is one of the very few events in the judiciary sector where members of the bench and that of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) come together, particularly to deliberate on issues that will eventually aid the progress and development of the judiciary.

The Legal Year, according to some lawyers, provides the avenue for jurists to step out of their perceived cocoon to socialise. It is one event that allows relationship to foster between lawyers and the jurists.

But in the Kwara State jurisdiction, the event seems to have become history. It has been three years since the state Judiciary organised such ceremony. The last Legal Year was held in 2015 after the present Chief Judge, Justice Saidu Durosinlohun Kawu came on board.

According to findings, Legal Year by court of records; Federal High Court, Appeal court, Supreme Court, National Industrial Court, (NIC) and many more, runs from July – September. The event is always marked by an induction of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

During the last legal year, the Governor of the state, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, who was in attendance made N50,000 cash awards each to three judicial workers who performed exceptionally in their various designations. The CJ was also said to have raised the monetary gifts to N75,000 each for the awards recipients.

Those who received the governor’s good gesture then were the best driver, a cleaner, and a registrar, who is simply identified as Mr Bunmi.

When will this kind of event that appreciates good works happen again in the state judiciary?

Speaking on the issue is the chairman, NBA, Ilorin branch, Barr. Muhammed Idowu Akande, who expressed worry over the non celebration of the event, saying, the event is a tradition in the judiciary sector but it has long been abandoned.

Akande blamed lack of celebration of the legal year on paucity of fund, adding that what supposed to be traditionally observed is fast going into oblivion.

He said, “in my findings, legal year should always be celebrated, the Muslims will go to mosque, the Christians will go to Church. Lawyers will be fully robed, there will be parade by the judges, police band, then there will be address by the CJ, Chief executive officer of the state and the chairman of the NBA. Then, there will special court sitting in honour of the legal year.

“It was held in the state about three years ago, I’m very sure, there was none last year, we had it during the tenure of Barr. Isa Manzuma as the NBA chairman.

“I could speak on the legal year because I witnessed it some years ago, what would a lawyer who was just called to Bar few years ago say of the event when he or she has never witnessed one? This is a good tradition, particularly in Kwara State judiciary, but it is going into extinction, major reason for this is lack of fund. This ought not to be. In this jurisdiction, it’s becoming history and it is unfortunate.

On his part, Barr. Taye Oniyede maintained that whether the judiciary holds the legal year or not, it doesn’t change anything, stressing that it is just a ceremony.

“If the state judiciary observes it or not, it doesn’t change anything. Legal Year is just a ceremonial event that is not compulsory though it is good. I’m not even sure we’ve held one here. When a child is born, either ceremonial naming is done or not, he or she will be given name.

“Notwithstanding, if it is not celebrated, it doesn’t override the fact that we opened a legal year because we go on vacation.

Also speaking on the issue is a member of the Young Lawyers’ Forum (YLF) Kabiru Adebayo, he noted that such event where past activities of the judiciary is reviewed shouldn’t be swept under the carpet.

“This is a medium where issues affecting the welfare of judges, counsels and many more are discussed. In 2015 when it was held, creation of more courtrooms, renovation of the existing ones, judges welfare, among many others were discussed.

Efforts to get reaction of the Chief Registrar (CR) of the state High Court, Justice Lekan Adegbite on the issue proved abortive as poor network reception distrupted the phone conversation of our reporter with him.

Our reporter was also in his office on Tuesday but left unattended to after waiting for close to an hour.

 

Show More

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button