The Honourable Chief Judge of
Lagos State, Hon. Mr. Justice Opeyemi Oke congratulating the newly
sworn-in Customary Court Presidents and Members at the High Court
Ikeja, Lagos State.
The Lagos State Government has approved a rise in pay for
presidents and members of the state’s customary courts, the Chief
Judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke, has said.
Justice Oke made the disclosure on Tuesday while swearing in a
new set of customary court members and presidents.
She, therefore, charged the newly-sworn-in six presidents and
two members of the customary court to shun corruption and be
dedicated to their jobs.
The Chief Judge also advised the new judicial officers to
embrace reading as well as protect their integrity.
“As customary court presidents and members, you must act with a
high level of decorum and within the dictates of your
conscience.
“The fundamental rights, freedoms and principles underpinning
our constitutional democracy must guide you,” Justice Oke
added.
The Executive Secretary, Lagos State Judicial Service
Commission, Mrs Bukola Salami, told the new judicial officers that
with their new status, their conduct and carriage had become
subjects of public scrutiny.
“You must, therefore, maintain a high standard of
professionalism, competence and integrity to be able to dispense
justice to all manner of people, particularly at the grass roots,
without fear or favour, affection or ill will,” she said.
Salami, who said the appointment of the new judicial officers
was based on their integrity, ability and qualifications,
admonished them to “discharge your duties optimally and with a
great sense of duty owed to the people of Lagos State.”
She said it was her hope that “with the calibre and quality of
these new learned personalities, dispensation of justice will be
further enriched.”
Salami told the new customary court presidents and members that
with the Customary Court Law 2018 (amended), their jurisdiction had
been extended to “matters arising from marriages solemnised under
the native law custom; issues of inheritance not exceeding N500,000
and civil bye-laws passed by local government and council
development areas.”
She added that in criminal cases where the customary court had
jurisdiction, the court could impose a maximum fine of N50,000 on
an individual offender and N500,000 on a corporate offender.
