The Rivers State Acting
Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Daisy Okocha, has organised a two-day workshop for judges, magistrates and other court staff in the Rivers State judiciary.
Addressing participants of the workshop during the opening ceremony at the Conference Hall of the State High Court Complex, Port Harcourt, Justice Okocha stated that the programme was intended to update the performance standard of state Judiciary staff.
Okocha pointed out that “the workshop is in consonance with the provisions of the National Judicial Institutes Public Notice 1 of September 30, 2013, the National Judicial Policy, seeking to maintain a high standard of adjudication and administration in the dispensation of justice in Nigeria’’.
She explained that the ‘’Public Notice 1’’ bothers on judicial ethics, and speedy administration and dispensation of justice, adding that it also involves the capacity development of judicial officers.
The acting chief judge urged Judges and magistrates to pay much attention to the topics which would refresh their memories on judgement writing and performance evaluation, judicial ethics, alternative dispute resolution and case management.
Okocha hinted that the National Judicial Council had also created performance evaluation committees to access and monitor the performance of judicial officers for effective service delivery.
She stated that the national body had also directed the state Judicial Service Commissions to set up such committees for lower courts in the federation, disclosing that the judicial staff from the lower courts, confirmed to be performing well during assessment exercises can be recommended to the NJC for appointments to the Superior Courts of Records.
Pledging that her administration would have zero tolerance for corruption, she charged judicial officers attending the workshop to put into practice, the talks on ethics and anti-corruption.
In his speech, Director of Studies of the National Judicial Institute and lead speaker of the training programme, Dr. C.O. Ajah, commended the state Acting Chief Judge, Justice Daisy Okocha “for engaging in this initiative,” considering the financial implication of the exercise, and pledged the support of the National Judicial Institute.