Niger Acting Chief Judge warns Magistrates against professional misconduct

Any Magistrate In the service of Niger State Judiciary that is found wanting in the discharge of its duty will be severely dealt with in accordance with the laid down rule of the Judicial Service Commission, the acting Chief judge of Niger State, Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik has warned.

She said that the Judiciary under her watch will no longer accept any unprofessional conduct from any Magistrate warning that she will use the sledge hammer on any erring Magistrate.

Addressing participants at a two day interactive session organized for newly appointed magistrates into the service of the Niger State Judiciary held at the conference hall of the Judicial Service Commission in Minna Tuesday, the chief judge maintained that she will not spare any Magistrate that is reported to have engaged in unprofessional conduct.

According to the acting Chief Judge, the session was organized to aquaint the new magistrates with the rudiment of court proceedings and brainstorm on the day to day rule of court proceedings in order for them to leave up to their professional responsibility as Magistrates.

She then urged the participants to make proper use of the knowledge aquired from the training session so as to enable them perform effectively in their respective courts.

In a paper presented at the training session with the topic, ” Arrangement And Bail In the Magistrate Court” the director in-charge of Probate, Nasiru Mua’azu, described bail as immense importance to the administration of justice, stating that the proper application of the principles creates a favourable atmosphere under which the confidence of the people in having recourse to the court is enhanced.

“Arraignment is literally the formal reading of criminal charging documents in the presence of the accused to inform him of the charge(s) against him.

“In response to arraignment, the accused is expected to enter plea which vary amongst jurisdiction, but they generally include” Guilty, not Guilty” he explained.

According to him, arraignment is the process of bringing an accused person/persons to the court in order to formally accused them of crime or crimes adding that the supreme Court of Nigeria has in a number of cases laid down for valid arraignment.