NJC Sets Up Committee to Work Out Ways Court Proceedings Can Continue Amid Covid-19 Measures
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has set up a 10-member committee to fashion out ways courts could sit amid measures to contain Covid-19 spread.
Lockdown and social distancing orders over the novel coronavirus currently constitute hindrances for normal court sittings.
But in a statement on Friday by its spokesman, Soji Oye, the NJC said the committee should workout how court could safely carry out proceedings in the midst of the current situation.
It gave the committee terms of references to include coming up with guidelines or templates for implementation.
The NJC added that the committee was expected to look into possible areas of collaboration between the judiciary and the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, stakeholders in the justice administration and development partners in the justice administration sector.
The committee was given 14 days to conclude its assignment.
Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour of the Supreme Court is the chairman of the committee and the members are Justices M. B. Dongban-Mensem (acting President of the Court of Appeal), J. T. Tsoho (Chief Judge, Federal High Court), B. B. Kanyip (President, National Industrial Court of Nigeria), Ishaq Bello (Chief Judge, High Court of the Federal Capital Territory), Kashim Zannah (Chief Judge, Borno State) and O. A. Ojo.
Others are the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Paul Usoro (SAN), his predecessor, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Damian Dodo.
