NBA Calls for Removal Of Justice Uzokwe Over Alleged Excesses
The Aba branch of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) has called for the transfer of Justice T.U Uzokwe over what it described as her excesses.
Justice Uzokwe who presides over High Court 2,Aba, is being accused of lack of respect for lawyers and litigants who appear before her court.
She is alleged to have ordered an elderly counsel who had a matter in her court to kneel down and raise his hands up as his phone rang in court. She also ordered her police constable to smash the phone of another counsel whose phone rang during proceedings.
Others include harassing litigants and scolding lawyers that they don't read vastly, and lacks sound knowledge of the law.
She was also alleged to have most times, lambasted litigants for not being properly dressed.
In a resolution signed by the branch chairman and secretary, Charles Eduzor and Kelechi Ukaumunna, respectively, the branch insisted that they have resolved to boycott Justice T.U Uzokwe's court.
They also called on the Acting Chief Judge of the state to transfer her out of Aba Judicial Division.The branch also resolved to write the National Judicial Council to remove or retire her over her misconducts.
On Monday, 14th May,2012, the members of the branch picketed her court, and threatened to continue until she was transferred out of the division.
Worried by the ugly development, the Acting Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice Shedrack Nwanosike stormed the High Court complex, Aba last Wednesday to make peace between Justice Uzokwe, who was also a former Acting Chief of the state and the members of the Aba branch of the NBA.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the closed door meeting, the branch Chairman, Eduzor said the branch still maintains her position that Justice Uzokwe be transferred out of the Aba Judicial Division.
The Nigerian Bar Association, Aba Branch passed a resolution on Friday, 7th of May,2012, to boycott Justice Uzokwe's court.
She has been given an opportunity to respond to the allegations of misconduct. The boycott has been on since 14th May, 2012.We called on lawyers to converge in her court to ensure the boycott is implemented.
When the Acting Chief Judge got wind of it, he now called me and said that i should inform members that he will arrive today,16th May,2012, to hold a meeting with us with a view to see how he could resolve the problem.
We told our stories, the Acting Chief Judge made his comments. The Bar told him what the minimum demand is.
The minimum demand is the immediate transfer of Justice Theresa Uzokwe out of the Aba Judicial Division and its environs. That demand is not negotiable, the Chairman stated.
Eduzor also recounted some of the alleged misconducts of Justice Uzokwe. â€Her sins are legion.
A lawyer who defended an accused person ended up being detained at the police station for not producing the accused person.
Meanwhile,the lawyer did not take the man on bail, it was the responsibility of the surety to produce him.
“A lawyer's phone mistakenly rang in court and she ordered the police to smash the phone in my presence. The phone was smashed and the pieces brought to court. This is an act of malicious damage, it is not a judicial act.
Even if she intended to smash the phone, there has to be a trial, the lawyer must be given an opportunity to defend himself.
There has to be fair hearing, because as it is said, even God did not convict Adam before hearing from him.
Another lawyer's phone rang again, he stood him up in his wig and gown behind the litigants for over three hours. That is turning the profession on its head.
Even if a lawyer committed contempt, he has to derobe first. Trying to mete out punishment in his wig and gown means desecrating the good profession. These are part of the grievances of the lawyers, We have told the appropriate organ that should transfer her to remove from here,he said.
Barr. Emeka Okoye who had his phone smashed on the orders of Justice Uzokwe said he could not understand how the latter failed to take his appeal for forgiveness and that of the Chairman of the branch, Eduzor over the phone incident.
My case with Justice Uzokwe was on the 8th of this month. I had a matter that had to do with a community in her court. Customarily, no lawyer allows his phone to ring in court. Be that as it may, i had to kept my phone in silent mode to be able to connect other businesses i have with my office.
During the proceedings, a message came into my phone and it beeped, i never knew it would beep. The court confiscated my phone, i had to tender an unreserved apology, but the court didn't consider it,he stated.
Okoye added that after confiscating his phone, the court ordered him to stand behind the dock, which is highly unprofessional.
I obeyed the court order. Few minutes of my standing there, the court again ordered me to stand behind the litigants whom we were all in court to defend in their various matters. If i had to disobey the order, other meanings will be read to it.
I stood there for hours, till the end of the day. When i was asked to go back to the Bar, i still thanked the court and apologized for the phone. We go to other Courts outside Aba, even the Supreme Court, it is not ordinary for a lawyer to forget to switch off his phone .
In this case, the Court tortured me, NBA and even the legal profession. I was not given fairing hearing. There are other lawyers series of cases before now, whose phones were smashed in her court, the records of all these cases is with the NBA, Okoye said.
Sources also accused Justice Uzokwe of using her former position as Acting Chief Judge to alter her records as she is said to hail from Ozubulu town and married to an Oraifite man, both in Anambra state.
Without this, she would have been caught in the web of the recent back loading of non indigenes embarked upon by the Abia state government, last September, the source hinted.
Justice Uzokwe declined to meet with journalists, preferring that they write down the names of their medium and mobile numbers, a request which was rejected.
The Acting Chief Judge of the state sneaked out of the High Court complex before journalists could reach him for comments.
Justice Uzokwe who presides over High Court 2,Aba, is being accused of lack of respect for lawyers and litigants who appear before her court.
She is alleged to have ordered an elderly counsel who had a matter in her court to kneel down and raise his hands up as his phone rang in court. She also ordered her police constable to smash the phone of another counsel whose phone rang during proceedings.
Others include harassing litigants and scolding lawyers that they don't read vastly, and lacks sound knowledge of the law.
She was also alleged to have most times, lambasted litigants for not being properly dressed.
In a resolution signed by the branch chairman and secretary, Charles Eduzor and Kelechi Ukaumunna, respectively, the branch insisted that they have resolved to boycott Justice T.U Uzokwe's court.
They also called on the Acting Chief Judge of the state to transfer her out of Aba Judicial Division.The branch also resolved to write the National Judicial Council to remove or retire her over her misconducts.
On Monday, 14th May,2012, the members of the branch picketed her court, and threatened to continue until she was transferred out of the division.
Worried by the ugly development, the Acting Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice Shedrack Nwanosike stormed the High Court complex, Aba last Wednesday to make peace between Justice Uzokwe, who was also a former Acting Chief of the state and the members of the Aba branch of the NBA.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the closed door meeting, the branch Chairman, Eduzor said the branch still maintains her position that Justice Uzokwe be transferred out of the Aba Judicial Division.
The Nigerian Bar Association, Aba Branch passed a resolution on Friday, 7th of May,2012, to boycott Justice Uzokwe's court.
She has been given an opportunity to respond to the allegations of misconduct. The boycott has been on since 14th May, 2012.We called on lawyers to converge in her court to ensure the boycott is implemented.
When the Acting Chief Judge got wind of it, he now called me and said that i should inform members that he will arrive today,16th May,2012, to hold a meeting with us with a view to see how he could resolve the problem.
We told our stories, the Acting Chief Judge made his comments. The Bar told him what the minimum demand is.
The minimum demand is the immediate transfer of Justice Theresa Uzokwe out of the Aba Judicial Division and its environs. That demand is not negotiable, the Chairman stated.
Eduzor also recounted some of the alleged misconducts of Justice Uzokwe. â€Her sins are legion.
A lawyer who defended an accused person ended up being detained at the police station for not producing the accused person.
Meanwhile,the lawyer did not take the man on bail, it was the responsibility of the surety to produce him.
“A lawyer's phone mistakenly rang in court and she ordered the police to smash the phone in my presence. The phone was smashed and the pieces brought to court. This is an act of malicious damage, it is not a judicial act.
Even if she intended to smash the phone, there has to be a trial, the lawyer must be given an opportunity to defend himself.
There has to be fair hearing, because as it is said, even God did not convict Adam before hearing from him.
Another lawyer's phone rang again, he stood him up in his wig and gown behind the litigants for over three hours. That is turning the profession on its head.
Even if a lawyer committed contempt, he has to derobe first. Trying to mete out punishment in his wig and gown means desecrating the good profession. These are part of the grievances of the lawyers, We have told the appropriate organ that should transfer her to remove from here,he said.
Barr. Emeka Okoye who had his phone smashed on the orders of Justice Uzokwe said he could not understand how the latter failed to take his appeal for forgiveness and that of the Chairman of the branch, Eduzor over the phone incident.
My case with Justice Uzokwe was on the 8th of this month. I had a matter that had to do with a community in her court. Customarily, no lawyer allows his phone to ring in court. Be that as it may, i had to kept my phone in silent mode to be able to connect other businesses i have with my office.
During the proceedings, a message came into my phone and it beeped, i never knew it would beep. The court confiscated my phone, i had to tender an unreserved apology, but the court didn't consider it,he stated.
Okoye added that after confiscating his phone, the court ordered him to stand behind the dock, which is highly unprofessional.
I obeyed the court order. Few minutes of my standing there, the court again ordered me to stand behind the litigants whom we were all in court to defend in their various matters. If i had to disobey the order, other meanings will be read to it.
I stood there for hours, till the end of the day. When i was asked to go back to the Bar, i still thanked the court and apologized for the phone. We go to other Courts outside Aba, even the Supreme Court, it is not ordinary for a lawyer to forget to switch off his phone .
In this case, the Court tortured me, NBA and even the legal profession. I was not given fairing hearing. There are other lawyers series of cases before now, whose phones were smashed in her court, the records of all these cases is with the NBA, Okoye said.
Sources also accused Justice Uzokwe of using her former position as Acting Chief Judge to alter her records as she is said to hail from Ozubulu town and married to an Oraifite man, both in Anambra state.
Without this, she would have been caught in the web of the recent back loading of non indigenes embarked upon by the Abia state government, last September, the source hinted.
Justice Uzokwe declined to meet with journalists, preferring that they write down the names of their medium and mobile numbers, a request which was rejected.
The Acting Chief Judge of the state sneaked out of the High Court complex before journalists could reach him for comments.
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