Lagos Chief Judge commissions training Institute for judiciary staff

A training arm of the Lagos State Judiciary that will be responsible for the promotion of innovation and effectiveness in services rendered to Lagosians has been commissioned by the Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Institute in Ikeja, the Chief Judge said that the Institute, among other functions, is expected to provide continuing education for all categories of judicial officers through workshops, seminars and other programmes related to judicial education.

She said “the mission of this Institute is to promote excellence through training, competency, and professionalism in the Lagos State Judiciary. It is expected that the Institute will have a far-reaching impact on the quality of our human capital and productivity quotient”.

Justice Oke maintained that the Lagos State Judicial Establishment Institute will, in addition to the above functions, serve as a platform for updating judiciary staff on recent developments in the law, contemporary issues around legal procedure and practice, administration and judicial ethics. 

While noting that since the beginning of her tenure as the State’s Chief Judge, staff of the Judiciary had benefited from both local and international training, Justice Oke explained that the rationale behind the various training programmes were borne out of the conviction that training was the only way that judicial competency, standards, and professionalism could be achieved, maintained and sustained.

“Training is the only way that we can maintain and sustain our position as the foremost Judiciary in Africa.  It is one of the foremost ways to build public trust and confidence in the Lagos State Judiciary. We are the first Judiciary in the nation to formalise and set up its training arm”, the Chief Judge reiterated. 

Justice Oke expressed the hope that with the establishment of the Institute, judicial officers are now expected to sharpen their skills, increase efficiency, innovation, and effectiveness for the benefit and service to the good people of Lagos State

She expressed optimism that the Board of Governors of the Institute would design programmes and training for various categories of staff to address and improve the capacity and overall effectiveness of the Lagos State Judiciary.

The Institute was established, pursuant to the Lagos State Judicial Institute Law 2007, to serve as the principal focal point of judicial activities relating to the promotion of efficiency, uniformity, and improvement in the quality of judicial services in the superior and inferior courts in Lagos State.