Obiano tasks Anambra judiciary on civil procedure rules

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano has urged stakeholders in the justice sector to evolve acceptable rules of proceedings that would ensure efficient and effective functioning of courts in the state.

Obiano made the call on Friday in Onitsha, Anambra State during a two-day public summit on the review of civil procedure rules for courts.

He said the synergy between the executive and judicial arm of government in the state has led to series of landmark changes in the justice administration and the working condition of judicial officers in the state.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, the governor thanked the Chief Judge, Justice Peter Umeadi for commencing the process that resulted to a total overhaul of the rules governing civil procedure of various cadres of courts in the state.

Earlier, the State Chief Judge, Justice Peter Umeadi explained that the review of the rules of proceedings was occasioned by its outdated nature.

He said, “The rules of courts have become obsolete which necessitated the setting up of various review committees to look into them and come up with draft documents that would be subjected to public  scrutiny before being Adopted as rules of procedure for all Courts in the state.

“The rules being reviewed are the High Court Rules (2006), Anambra State Magistrate Court Rules (1991) and the Rules Establishing the Anambra State Multi-Door Court House.

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“It is the recommendations of the various committees set up to review these laws that the Chief Judge presented to the public during the just concluded summit for appraisal.

“The dynamism of the law does not allow its rules of practice to be latent.”

Umeadi explained that participants were free to make suggestions in gray areas in the committee’s recommendations, which he promised would be reflected in the final draft that would ultimately become the rules of procedure for courts in Anambra State.

Some of the key areas that engaged the attention of participants were issues of enhanced court fees, summary trials, granting of adjournments, probate matters, and preliminary objections.

Other areas included pre-trial conferences, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanisms, enforcement of  ADR awards and use of modern technology in litigation process.

One of the resource persons who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Arthur Obi-Okafor made case for synergy between the regular courts and the multi-door courts, to ensure that judicial officers at various levels were bound to enforce the ADR decisions reached at the Multi-Door Court House.

Participants which cut across all public strata, from the bar, bench, academia, stakeholders and other groups in the state justice system; engaged in robust debate in what seems like a clause-by-clause consideration of the proposed new set rules of Courts.