A judge who was recently elevated to the Appeal Court, Justice Binta Zubairu has lamented the situation in which judges are wrongly accused of delaying justice.
Justice Zubairu who spoke in Zaria, Kaduna State during a reception organized in her honour to celebrate her elevation to the Appeal Court bench said for the justice system to be fast, all stakeholders such as prosecutors, lawyers, and others need to work together.
She said judges work with other people and should not receive the blame for the delayed dispensation of justice which sometimes occurs.
“We don’t talk and nobody speaks for us; speedy dispensation of justice requires the prompt efforts of police, prosecution, assembling of exhibits and the lawyers,” she said.
According to her, sometimes, the judges or magistrates would be willing and ready, but the prosecution would not be ready or the lawyers would come up with excuses.
“As justices, we could not be heard as such and all the blames are shifted to us, even the police, while conducting an investigation on a simple case, would take them long time to come up with the report of their investigation,” she added.
Zubairu however said that there are some exceptional cases where a judge may be sick or be constrained by some personal challenges.
On her elevation to the Appeal Court bench, Justice Zubairu appreciated the entire Zazzau emirate for rejoicing with her, stressing that her elevation to the court of appeal was for the entire Zazzau Emirate, Nigeria, and humanity as a whole.
Earlier during the event, the Emir of Zazzau, Mallam Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli, said the entire emirate is proud of Justice Zubairu and urged her to maintain her virtues of honesty and professionalism.
“The emirate is proud of Justice Binta’s achievement being the first female to attain that height in the judiciary.
“I urge you to be good ambassador of the emirate by exhibiting high sense of honesty and professionalism,” he said.
