NJC bars judges, court staff and judicial officers from accepting gifts
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
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