Judges Are Not to be blamed in Delay of Justice – Appeal Court Judge Opens Up

Justice Binta Zubairu of the Court of Appeal, on Sunday, addressed a prevailing misconception, saying that judges are not to blame for the delays in the dispensation of justice, a belief held by some Nigerians.

TrackNews Media reports that Zubairu said this on the sidelines of a recep­tion organised in her honour in Zaria on her recent elevation as a Justice of the Court.

“Judges work as a team with the prosecution, law­yers and others. Speedy dispensation of justice re­quires the prompt efforts of the police, prosecution, as­sembling of exhibits by law­yers and presenting them correctly before the judges in court in accordance with the laws.

“Most times the judges or magistrates are ready to ad­judicate but the prosecution would not be ready or the lawyers will come with one excuse or the other.

“These are facts that are glaring in courts but be­cause we the judges can’t voice out their frustration, all the blames are shifted and heaped on us,” she said.

She said it usually takes the police longer than usual to conclude investiga­tion in a simple case.

She thanked the Almighty God for making her the first female in the Zazzau Emirate to be elevated to the rank of Jus­tice of the Court of Appeal.

“As a child, it was not my wish to be a magistrate or a judge. I wanted to be a prin­cipal of a school.

“I wanted to be a princi­pal because as a kid I desired to see that all children go to school to be educated.

“I have not in my wildest imagination, thought I will be a judge but destiny took me to the judiciary,’” she said.