CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS OF THE NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL

Abstract

The Nigerian judiciary, a creation of the Constitution is the 3rd organ of government in the much espoused doctrine of the triumvirate of government. However, of all the three organs of government, the judiciary is the most accessible to the citizentry and has been described as the last bastion of hope for the common man. The subject of an effective and independent judiciary has more often than not, engaged the interest of drafters of Nigeria Constitutions. The introduction of the National Judicial Council (NJC), for instance, is a noteworthy innovation of the 1999 Constitution, particularly with reference to the appointment, discipline and removal of judicial officers. This papers examines how well these Constitutional provisions enshrined in the 1999 have succeeded in producing the intended effectiveness and independence to the judiciary.