The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, has urged newly appointed High Court Judges to be efficient in the discharge of their duties and serve as good ambassadors of the State Government.
The Attorney-General made the call during a reception organised to celebrate the five Judges on Tuesday at the Ministry’s Conference room, stressing that the newly appointed Counsel are some of the best hands in the Ministry and their elevation is a testament to the calibre of State Counsel in the employment of the State Government.
Onigbanjo noted that out of the over 300 applicants for the position of High Court Judges, including Magistrates and Private Legal Practitioners, that wrote the exams and did the interview, a State Counsel in the Ministry obtained the highest overall score, stating that their appointments were based on merit and not an act of favouritism.
He explained that the appointments underscore the huge investment made by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration on the development of lawyers in the employ of the State, reiterating that the Lagos State Ministry of Justice is presently the largest law firm in Africa.
Onigbanjo, therefore, implored the five new High Court Judges to dispense justice according to the dictates of the law and in good conscience, saying “Apart from clergymen, you are also representatives of God on earth because you hold the power of life and death over people. This does not only apply in a criminal trial when you sentence someone to death by hanging but your decisions sometimes could also mean life and death to others”.
The Commissioner prayed for wisdom, knowledge and understanding for the judges in the discharge of their responsibilities, adding that God will continue to guide them on the right path.
Also speaking, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Ms. Titilayo Shitta-Bey congratulated the newly appointed judges on their elevation to the bench, urging them to uphold the tenets of justice.She went further to state that their elevation to the bench will serve as motivation for others to aspire for greater heights, noting, however, that nothing comes easy except with hard work and dedication.
The High Court Judges expressed their gratitude for the reception, promising to uphold the tenet of justice to the best of their ability and continue being good ambassadors of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.
The recently appointed High Court Judges are Hon. Justice Adenrera Olayinka Adeyemi, Hon. Justice Oluwatoyin Atinuke Odusanya, Hon. Justice Akinkunmi Olusegun Idowu, Hon. Justice Mujibat Iyabode Oshodi and Hon. Justice Muyibat Mosunmola Balogun.