Posted by From Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja on
The Nigerian Bar Association has condemned the assault on the presiding Judge of the Abuja High Court, Honourable Justice Husseni Mukhtar, by a lawyer, Chief E. Oshe (SAN).
The Nigerian Bar Association has condemned the assault on the presiding Judge of the Abuja High Court, Honourable Justice Husseni Mukhtar, by a lawyer, Chief E. Oshe (SAN).
A statement signed by Chairman of NBA (Abuja Branch), Chief Jude Okeke, and Publicity Secretary, Mr Emeka Obegolu, described the assault as highly undignifying and unacceptable.
The statement said its 'attention has been drawn to widely reported incident of verbal altercations that took place in the High Court No. 4, Abuja, on Tuesday July 12, 2005, between Chief E.O. Oshe and Dr A. A. Izinyon, and resultant verbal attack on the presiding Judge.
It said the Bar is highly perturbed by the incident, and therefore, 'condemns in strong terms, Oshe's conduct, for acting short of the level of decorum expected of a learned Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
"Attacking him frontally in open court and in words used by Oshe, SAN, for perceived shortcoming, to us is unacceptable. The conduct tends to undermine the dignity and sanctity of the throne of justice," the Bar said.
NBA, an umbrella body of the bar and the bench, noted that a judge is not only the master of his court, but essentially epitomises judicial dignity and excellence, and for this, he deserves the highest level of respect and honour by all manner of counsel and litigants appearing before him.
The association called for restraint and candour from all persons, saying whoever may feel aggrieved should channel their grievances to the appropriate quarters, rather than resort to desecration of the institution of justice.