The National Judicial Council (NJC) has summoned three high court judges from two states to appear before it over their alleged lackadaisical attitude to work.
In a statement in Abuja, yesterday, the council said it had already queried the affected judges to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against them.
NJC which is headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, said it had at its 73rd meeting, considered the report submitted by its committee on Performance Evaluation of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts of Record in the Federation and found the three judges wanting in the performance of their judicial duties.
Nevertheless, the council refrained from disclosing the identities of the three high court judges under probe.
Besides, NJC in the statement signed by its Acting Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, said it had also rejected two candidates whose names were forwarded to it for appointment as high court judges.
It stressed that after the candidates who were nominated by their state Judicial Service Commission were thoroughly interviewed, they were found to be unsuitable due to their poor knowledge of basic law.
The statement read: “The National Judicial Council, under the Chairmanship of the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed, at its 73rdMeeting, considered the report submitted by its Committee on Performance Evaluation of Judicial Officers of Superior Courts of Record in the Federation and decided to invite three high court judges from two states to appear before it for low performance and show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against them.
“The appointments of some Heads of Courts were considered at the meeting. The candidate recommended to Mr. President for appointment as Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory had been approved by Mr. President, confirmed by the Senate and sworn-in. Three other Heads of Courts, three high court judges and 1 Customary Court of Appeal judge for the states were recommended and forwarded to their respective State Governors for appointment.
“Under one of the new rules in the Revised 2014 Guidelines and Procedural Rules on appointment of judicial officers of the federation, all candidates for appointment as judicial officers to superior courts of record shall be interviewed by the National Judicial Council.
Pursuant to this new rule, two candidates forwarded to the council by a state Judicial Service Commission for appointment as high court judges were rejected after being interviewed by the National Judicial Council, having been found to be unsuitable due to their poor knowledge of basic law.
“Council had two years ago introduced Freeze List of Courts that do not have sufficient work load and are not allowed to forward recommendation for new appointment of judges to it until their workload improves. At its recent meeting, two courts were put on the Freeze List by the Council bringing the total number of courts in the federation on the Freeze List to 26.”
