The Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, has urged magistrates to always give their best in the discharge of their lawful duty of justice administration in the country.
Baba-Yusuf gave the charge on Monday while declaring open a two-day workshop organised for magistrates in the FCT.
“There should be no excuse for failure,” he said.
“If we must get it right, it must be at the magistrate level. Once we get it right at the bottom, we will get it right at the top,” he said.
The workshop was organised by the Magistrates Association of Nigeria (MAN) FCT branch in collaboration with an NGO, Fight Against Corruption in Judiciary (FIACIJ) and Duty Solicitors Network (DSN) supported by Rolac.
The theme of the workshop was ‘Attaining Global Best Practices in the FCT Magistracy: Challenges and Solutions’.
The CJ said: “It is an onerous task for FCT magistrates, considering their heavy docket as a result of the increasing number of cases in the Territory because of its growing population coupled with limited resources.
“It is beyond peradventure that the magistrates’ court is an integral and critical aspect of our justice institution with shared responsibilities for quick dispensation of justice.
“This is indeed an onerous task in view of the heavy docket of the magistrates who must of necessity contend with the increasing number of cases in the FCT as a result of growing population of the city coupled with limited resources”.
Earlier, Chairman, Senior Magistrate, FCT, Abdulrazaq Eneye, said the workshop was geared towards equipping the magistrates with the necessary tools with which to function efficiently in all ramifications.(NAN)