By Obinwa Chikaodili :
The Anambra State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Sylvia Chika Ifemeje says the Prof. Chukwuma Soludo led administration in the state is committed to the expeditious dispensation of justice in the state.
The commissioner said “to achieve this goal there is need to equip law officers of the state with the relevant skills that will enable them attain this objective”.
Prof. Ifemeje said this during the annual training of the state law officers held at the Ministry of Justice, Jerome Udojii State Secretariat, Awka.
The Attorney-General noted that justice is said to be expeditiously dispensed when the key players in the Justice ministry work together assiduously and effectively to see that justice is achieved fairly and timely, explaining that justice delayed is justice denied.
The commissioner said that the role of the ministry is to prosecute criminals, seek for the enforcement of its civil right in the Court and defend liability.
She identified some of the factors that could hinder the quick dispensation of justice to include failure to appear in court on adjourned dates, filing of Court processes late and general poor attitude to work, calling on the law officers to continue with their timely response to legal matters.
In her speech which centred on the Ethics of the Law Profession, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of justice, Mrs. Ngozi lwouno described Ethics of Law as the set goals or moral principles that govern the conduct of a lawyer in his place of work.
She reminded the law officers that they are to defend the state by instituting actions in court on behalf of the state, adding that they have other roles to play like advocacy and advisory duties by way of legal opinions and advise to other ministries.
One of the resource persons, Mrs.Nwando Obiano, retired Permanent Secretary who lectured on the Overview of the Civil Service Rules and the Code of Conduct, said that the Civil Service is an organized institution of government and has its framework as Ministries, Agencies and Parastatals.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Chukwuka lkwuazom (SAN) in his address observed that the office of the Attorney General has its primary duty to represent the state in all civil proceedings involving the rights or interest of the public which the Attorney General considered necessary for the enforcement of the law.
He added that the state commissioner of justice is also entrusted with the sacred duty of preservation of law and order and has power to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court of law in Nigeria.
Also speaking the Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Dr Offornze Amucheazi said that the adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution afforded parties the opportunity to resolve disputes themselves without having a third party to decide for them.
A retired Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Barr. Tina Emekekwue described legal drafting as formulation of documents and putting it in writing as legal opinion, memoranda of understanding, agreements and Bills, stressing that when drafting a legal document one have to consider the sentence , paragraphing sequence among other factors.
In his remark, Mr G C Emenike, Director Public Prosecution in the Ministry of Justice said that criminal prosecution is an act of holding a trial against a person accused of commiting a crime for the purpose of determing the offense.
He said that a persecutor must possess analytical skill, preservarance, problem solving and logical reasoning.
In a vote of thanks one of the law officers, Miss Ifeoma Chinenye Nwigwe commended the resource persons for allowing them to benefit from their wealth of knowledge.
