Many judges are notorious for ‘cash and carry’ judgements – Jega

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has explained how some judges and lawyers became stupendously rich.

He said many judges are notorious for ‘cash and carry’ judgements.

Jega, a former Vice Chancellor of the Bayero University Kano, said some corrupt judges sell judgements to highest bidders especially while sitting on election petition tribunals.

And to avoid being caught and sanctioned, the corrupt judges quickly retire to evade punishment by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

He gave the insight during a lecture he delivered at the Owolabi Afuye Memorial Lecture organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan Branch.

The event was held to mark NBA 2021 Law Week.

His words: “Some senior lawyers have become stupendously wealthy defending corrupt public officials, or handling electoral litigation for governorship and presidential candidates.

“Similarly, many judges have become notorious for corrupt enrichment for ‘cash and carry’ judgements, especially in election matters generally and in election tribunals, more specifically.

“Some election tribunal appointments were in the past widely said to have been made to senior judges about to retire, who allegedly ‘sold’ judgements, most likely to the highest bidders, enriched themselves and quickly retired to avoid being sanctioned by the National Judicial Council.

“When lawyers use technicalities to subvert justice and ‘win’ cases without regard to perpetration of injustices, they basically help to undermine, rather than enhance national development, peaceful coexistence and security.

“They discard ethical and professional conduct, and put parochial and/or self-serving objectives in the forefront of their practices.”