SITE NEWS

Access to Justice Condemns Invasion and Sealing Off of the Ekiti State High Court Complex

Access to Justice has issued a Press Statement today condemning the reported sealing- off of Ekiti State High Court on Tuesday 17th April 2007 by soldiers and mobile policemen. The statement noted that the action of the security agents gravely undermines the operations of the judicial branch of government, and directly interferes with the sanctity of courts and the exercise of rights of access to them, and requests the Inspector- General of Police and the Chief of Army Staff to remove all restrictions of access to the courts.
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2. AJ Writes Protest Letter to IGP over the Sealing Off of Ekiti State High Court Complex by Security Agents

Access to Justice today wrote a letter protesting the sealing off of Ekiti State High Court by security agents, to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero requesting that he removes restrictions to Ekiti State High Court immediately. The letter which was copied to the Chief of Army Staff and others including the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers condemned the action of the armed policemen and soldiers as a gross abuse of the rights of citizens to judicial recourse, and gross disrespect for the rule of law, saying further that it violates the constitutionally guaranteed independence of the judicial branch and negates all the important values enshrined in the United Nations’ Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary. It also enjoined the IGP to reaffirm his avowed commitment to upholding human rights, and respecting the rule of law, and also to take necessary action against all those who may have authorized the wanton interference with the judicial process in Ekiti State.
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Rule of Law Subversion is Proving Costly for INEC, and for Nigeria

On Monday, 16th April, the Nigerian Supreme Court ruled that INEC had no powers to disqualify any candidates for political office, and ordered INEC to include the Vice-President Atiku’s name on the ballot. Prior to this time, INEC had blatantly refused to comply with lower Courts’ orders to include the Vice-President’s name on the ballot, insisting it was only the Supreme Court’s voice it would obey in this regard. Access to Justice has denounced INEC’s repeated disrespect for judicial authority, on the ground that INEC was obligated to respect every court’s decision and orders, but nevertheless, welcomes its obedience to the Supreme Court’s ruling.
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INEC’s “Final” List of Candidates for the April Elections Shows a Regrettable, Self-Destructive Contempt for The Rule of Law in Nigeria
Access to Justice last week issued a “Public Service” Statement on the final list of candidates for the April elections released by INEC. The statement, which cited several decisions of superior courts in support of its position, condemned INEC’s disregard for subsisting decisions and orders of court directing the commission to include the names of some candidates for the gubernatorial and presidential elections. It noted that INEC’s refusal to implement courts decisions has the effect of ultimately destroying the constitutional right of access to court, which is so fundamental to the sustenance of our constitutional democracy and urged the immediate enforcement of all court decisions and orders issued to, or against INEC.
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The Attack on Magistrate Joseph Garba Shinga is a dangerous signal to the Independence of the Judiciary.
On Wednesday 21st of March, 2007, the nation woke up to another rude shock of how Mr. Joseph Garba Shinga, a presiding Magistrate in a criminal trial of the gubernatorial candidate of the Democratic Peoples’ Party (DPP) in Gombe State, Alhaji Abubakar Hashidu, was macheted in open court by miscreants reportedly loyal to the accused person after the ruling of the court that the accused should be remanded in prison custody until the case comes up on a later date.(Full Story)

Adamawa State Speaker’s Harassment of a Judge is a Reprehensible Threat to the Independence of the Judiciary.
The Nigerian polity is weary of the wanton disregard for constitutional provisions and due process evinced by different state legislatures in their, often selfish, bid to impeach their state Executives. The unfolding drama in Adamawa State involving the Speaker of the House of Assembly and a judge in that state is particularly disturbing and may have serious implications, if not checked properly and promptly.
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Press Conference by Access to Justice on Disqualifications by INEC Despite Court Orders and its Implications for the Rule of Law
We are on the threshold of history and the world watches with attention. We want to warn that there are imminent threats to Nigeria’s social and political stability. These threats are self-induced by agencies of government and they include INEC, and the Federal government. The controversies trailing INEC’s compliance, or rather non-compliance, with court orders concerning the disqualification of some opposition candidates is gradually building a storm cloud over the nation. The incidents of INEC’s disrespect for court orders are mounting by the day and have become a potent threat to our peaceful and democratic existence.
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Access to Justice writes to Mr. Leandro Despouy, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of Judges and Lawyers on the deteriorating situation of the Rule of Law in Nigeria, characterised by willfull and persistent disrespect for judicial authority 

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with a population of a hundred and forty million people, and plays a significant role in the affairs of the African region. She operates a republican democracy, has a written constitution that divides power among the tripartite branches of government – the executive, legislature and the Judiciary. The Constitution secures institutional autonomy for the Judicial branch, and commands all agencies of government to obey decisions and orders issued by its courts.
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