— As Fubara charges judges to consider effect of judgments on nation’s polity
By Daniel Abia, P/Harcourt
With barely six months to the 2027 presidential election, former Liberian President George Opong Weah has urged legal practitioners to remain neutral in the administration of justice, describing an independent judiciary as crucial to safeguarding democracy.
Weah, who delivered a keynote address at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, emphasised the crucial role of the Bar and Bench in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of citizens.
He noted that an independent judiciary, protected by a fearless legal profession, “is needed in every serious nation”, warning that threats to democracy do not come only from the barrel of a gun or a defeated leader who refuses to hand over power.
He said democracy could also be threatened when judicial institutions are weakened and unable to perform their duties effectively.
The former Liberian leader reminded delegates that democracy does not end on election night but is tested every day, stressing that “democracy cannot survive on strong men but on strong institutions.”
Weah described as a dangerous threat to democracy governments that claim to be democratic but are corrupt and collude with judges to undermine the rule of law and manipulate society.
On his part, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, charged judges responsible for the administration of law and justice to consider the overall impact of their judgments on the polity.
Fubara, who declared the conference open on Sunday, said law and order, as well as the rate of national development, were inextricably linked to the quality of justice courts deliver with integrity.
He urged judges to ensure that nothing but the truth prevails at all times, irrespective of the status or social affiliations of the parties before them.
“We cannot continue to insulate our laws from today’s reality; neither should justice remain shackled by unjust precedents, technicalities, inadequate access, undue delays, slavish adherence to rigid processes, political manipulation or brazen corruption.
“The prevalence of these serious impediments to justice in our polity has damaged and continues to damage the reputation of the Judiciary and the Bar,” he said.
Fubara said that in a democratic society, the legal system sets out the rules of conduct and provides the basis for the relationship between government, public and private institutions and citizens.
Apart from upholding the rule of law, he said the judiciary was essential to any country seeking to foster true democracy, good governance and economic development.
According to the governor, courts are not merely venues for resolving social disputes but serve as the ultimate refuge for all citizens, including the common man, to pursue justice, accountability, human dignity and the enforcement of their legal and constitutional rights.
He said the ultimate aim of law was to protect and advance the security and well-being of citizens by ensuring equality before the law, safeguarding fundamental human rights and fostering an environment conducive to socioeconomic activities and national transformation.
He noted that law, order, peace and meaningful progress prevail wherever the law is treated as sovereign, while denying the sanctity of the rule of law, true democracy and good governance negates the logic of civilised existence and constitutes a recipe for social disaster.
“Consequently, we expect that our judges should not be mere apologists or conformists if they are to be the ultimate guardians of our democracy, the rule of law and the advancement of peace and good governance in our country,” he said.
Fubara stated that public confidence in the quality of the nation’s judiciary would be enhanced only when judges demonstrate sound knowledge of the law, excellent legal reasoning, courage, commitment and integrity to hold the government and the governed equally accountable to the Constitution and the rule of law.
“This is perhaps the only way to ensure that justice is not merely an ideal but one that can transform our society by being present in the life of our nation and of every citizen, including those at society’s margins, not just the privileged few.
“It is said that in times of uncertainty, particularly when political power attempts to overreach the Constitution and the rule of law, it is the courage of the legal profession that can intervene to nip such aberrations in the bud and ensure that the exercise of power is not used to circumvent the laws of the land and the values of democracy,” he said.
Addressing the theme of the conference, “Beyond Limits,” Fubara charged Nigerian lawyers, as ministers and custodians of the temple of justice, to rise above real or perceived constraints to protect the Constitution and advance the people’s inherent rights to democracy and good governance.
“In Rivers State, we understand what it means to push beyond limits. We have walked through the furnace of power, may have been bruised, yet remain unbowed in our determination to safeguard our unity, peace and progress and are more resolved than ever in our commitment to delivering the dividends of democracy to our people,” he said.
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