Lawyers and some judiciary stakeholders have expressed concern over the conditions of magistrates in the country saying that no magistrate in Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States earn above N250,000 as monthly salary.
The stakeholders made the observations separately while responding to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Survey on the “Welfare of Magistrates in the country”.
They also decried the working conditions of the magistrates including inadequate infrastructure and manpower in Magistrate’s Courts saying that the situation hampered effective justice delivery in the zone.
In Anambra, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Awka Branch, Mr Ken Nwanna, said the shortage of court halls and magistrates was creating serious operational challenges, particularly in Awka.
Nwanna noted that only four magistrates currently sit in Awka, a number, he said, was insufficient to handle the volume of cases in the jurisdiction.
According to him, the magistrates are compelled to share limited court halls, resulting in rotational sittings and disruptions in court proceedings.
He explained that the situation was affecting justice delivery, adding that other challenges included inadequate electricity supply, shortage of law books and poor furniture.
Nwanna also expressed concern over the lack of official vehicles for magistrates, noting that it had been a long time since such support was provided.
He stressed that increasing the number of court halls would enable the appointment of more magistrates and reduce workload pressures.
The former NBA chairman recalled that sustained advocacy had led to the ongoing renovation of High Courts in the state and urged the government to extend similar efforts to Magistrates’ Courts.
He called on the government to prioritise the construction and renovation of Magistrates’ Courts to improve working conditions and enhance justice administration.
Also speaking, Mr Kingsley Agbaenyi, Chairman of the Young Lawyers Forum, NBA Awka Branch, described the working conditions in Magistrates’ Courts as poor, citing dilapidated structures and inadequate facilities.
Agbaenyi told NAN that many court buildings were outdated and uncomfortable for magistrates, lawyers and the public.
He said lawyers often had to procure basic materials such as files and seek external services for photocopying and printing due to lack of equipment in the courts.
According to him, many courts lack basic amenities including microphones, fans and air-conditioning systems.
Agbaenyi urged the state government to prioritise judicial funding to address the challenges.
He commended the government for ongoing renovation works in some High Courts and appealed for similar interventions in Magistrates’ Courts.
Agbaenyi also encouraged private individuals and corporate organisations to partner with government to improve infrastructure within the judiciary.
In his views, Mr Stanley Okafor, Executive Director of the Leadership Orientation and Basic Rights Advocacy Centre, said the condition of magistrates in Anambra State mirrored the poor state of magistrates’ courts across the country.
Okafor said that many magistrates’ courts had become subjects of ridicule due to prolonged neglect.
He said several magistrate’s and customary courts in Anambra now resemble makeshift structures as a result of inadequate government attention to infrastructural development.
“Magistrates’ welfare nationwide remains poor, those in Anambra earn between about N160,000 and N250,000 monthly, depending on rank, despite handling the bulk of litigation in the justice system.
“The continued neglect of magistrates has negatively affected justice delivery, leading to practices that undermine judicial integrity, ” he said.
The civil society advocate said lawyers and activists have continued to demand improved welfare for magistrates nationwide, lamenting that in some states magistrates and judiciary staff are still employed under state civil service commissions instead of judicial service commissions.
Okafor urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to intervene by ensuring funds allocated to the judiciary are released promptly to enable authorities address challenges facing magistrates across the country.
He also called for the National Judicial Institute (NJI) to convene a national conference to develop strategies and legal frameworks to strengthen justice delivery at the magistrates’ level and ensure state judiciaries received their statutory allocations.
Okafor further urged the Anambra State Government, in the short term, to improve magistrates’ welfare through salary increases, provision of official vehicles, and renovation of magistrate and customary court facilities across the state.
The stakeholders in the judicial system in Ebonyi have also decried the poor welfare conditions of the magistrates, and dilapidated court facilities in many states of the federation.
They urged the federal and the state governments to prioritise well-being of magistrates in the country.
Mr Samuel Ede, the Ebonyi State Chairman of NBA said the situation of the welfare package would remain worrisome.
Ede, therefore, acknowledged that the state Governor, Francis Nwifuru, had given SUV cars each to magistrates.
According to Ede, giving them cars was not good enough; there is the need to increase their welfare (salary) to bring better operations than making car gifts.
“A situation, where, a magistrate’s monthly take home stands at less than N200, 000. Where will such money take the person to in this present economy of Nigeria?
“Yes, this topic (welfare of magistrates), is so fascinating and call for deeper sense of responsibility because the welfare of the magistrates as part of the administrators and officers in the temple of justice that administer justice, is very very paramount.
“Well, in Ebonyi state, like Oliver Twist says, thank you for the one you have done, but we are asking for more, especially on the monthly pay of the magistrates, which is a little bit over N200, 000.
“Looking at the economic situation in the country and Ebonyi, more needs to be done to improve living conditions of the magistrates. An SUV car gift is not enough and, remember, the maintenance of the SUV car is very exorbitant.
“A Magistrate deserves good living conditions,” the chairman said.
Mrs Emmanuella Otu, a Legal Practitioner, noted that the role of Magistrates in the justice system could not be over-emphasised and appealed to the three tiers of government to prioritise their welfare.