Alex Enumah in Abuja
Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has warned Registrars and administrators of courts across the country to be mindful of their conducts as such go a long way in shaping public perception of the country’s judiciary.
Kekere-Ekun said, “When litigants encounter delay, discourtesy, opacity, or administrative inefficiency, they leave with the impression that the entire judicial system is compromised.”.
She made the assertion on Monday at the opening of a National Workshop on Ethics for Judicial Administrators in Abuja.
The CJN, represented at the workshop by a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, stated that in contemporary society, the expectations placed upon the judiciary had expanded significantly. She added that citizens today demanded efficiency, transparency, accountability, and timely resolution of disputes.
Kekere-Ekun pointed out that the expectations could not be met by judicial excellence alone but also involved administrative systems governed by integrity, competence, and ethical discipline.
“Ethical administration demands adherence to principles that mirror the ethical obligations of the Bench itself: integrity, impartiality, accountability, confidentiality, diligence, and respect for all court users,” the CJN said.
She stated that judicial administrators must remain neutral actors, insulated from improper influence, personal interest, or external pressure.
She advised court registrars and administrators never to present themselves as a gateway for preferential treatment, procedural manipulation, or informal access to justice.
According to the CJN, the administrators’ primary allegiance is to the court as an institution and not to their relatives, friends, legal practitioners, or litigants.
Kekere-Ekun stated, “Court officials must therefore act with strict impartiality, guided solely by law, procedure, and institutional responsibility. Personal relationships, external pressures, or private interests must never be permitted to influence official conduct.
“Equally important is the duty of confidentiality. Judicial administrators routinely handle sensitive case materials, personal data, and privileged information. Safeguarding such information is fundamental to protecting litigants’ rights and maintaining confidence in the judicial process.”
Earlier, Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, described participants as the institutional backbone of the courts, stating that their role extends beyond routine duties to safeguarding the credibility and continuity of the justice system.
Adejumo said ethical challenges in judicial administration now intersected with broader governance issues, including accountability, personnel management, and financial oversight.
The workshop was expected to address practical concerns, such as records management, staff discipline, professional boundaries, and service delivery standards.
Chief Registrar of the Ebonyi State High Court, Mrs. Nnenna Onuoha; Murtala Halidu of Kaduna State Judicial Service Commission; and Chief Registrar of the Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, Tajudeen Karanga, were among the facilitators at the five-day workshop.
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