Worried about the perennial executive interference, some stakeholders have advocated an independent judiciary that is truly free from any form of external influence.

They made this advocacy at the second National Association of Catholic Lawyers (NACL) Archdiocese of Lagos yearly conference with the theme, “An independent judiciary in a democratic polity.”

At the event, the stakeholders insisted that for the judiciary to be truly independent, it must tackle the fundamental problems, such as judicial appointments, decision-making processes and funding, among others.

For the retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Oludotun Adebola Adefope-Okojie, judiciary appointment process must be dealt with to ensure the right people are selected for the job.

Retired partner at Aelex law firm and an independent arbitrator, Funke Adekoya (SAN) explained that the judiciary is supposed to check the excesses of the executive and the legislature to ensure they operate within their mandates.

According to her, for the judiciary to be independent, decision-making processes of the sector also need to be addressed. On the aspect of decongesting correctional facilities, a Judge, High Court of Lagos State, Justice A.J. Coker noted that the Chief Judge of Lagos, by his statutory powers, cannot decongest them by releasing convicted people, adding that it is only the governor, who can do so through the amnesty process. She added that plea bargains and granting of bail are other ways to decongest correctional centres.

Culled from Guardian