Admin l Saturday, December 18, 2021
WARRI, Nigeria – A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, presided over by Justice Okon Abang has warned lawyers making noise within court premises that disrupted proceedings during the week.
Justice Abang was infuriated that lawyers were making a noise while proceeding was ongoing in his court. Looking very disturbed by the development, the presiding judge sent his court registrar twice to warn the lawyers within the premises to stop making noise but it was to no avail.
Justice Abang, who found it difficult to continue with the proceedings, sent his police orderly to arrest anyone found making a noise on the corridor, leading to arrest of a lawyer, who was brought before the judge, while others took to their heel.
Justice Abang who was disappointed warned the lawyer and dismissed him to go and sin no more. Noise-making while proceedings are ongoing in the court room is a contempt in the face of the law.
But there was twist to the incident as the Warri branch of Nigeria Bar Association(NBA) decided to issue a boycott order of the judge’s court rather than warning its members. It also went further to petition the CJN. Senior lawyers, who reacted to the issue, condemned the Warri NBA and commended the judge for not sending the erring lawyer to prison.
Some of the lawyers said it would be madness for lawyers to be making a noise around the court while proceedings is ongoing.
One of the senior lawyers said: “Yes the conduct of the lawyer was a clear contempt in the face of the court which under section 133/4&9 of criminal code laws of the federation where the judge is the complainant prosecutor and remains the honourable judge”, one lawyer said.
Lawyers praised the judge for allowing him to go home a free person than being remanded in prison for 3 months.
