A Federal High Court judge in Warri Judicial Division, Justice Okon Abange has warned lawyers in Warri on the level of unprecedented noise-making around court premises that disrupted court proceedings last week.
During the court session and while proceedings was ongoing some lawyers were making a noise. The presiding judge sent his court registrar twice to warn the lawyers within the premises to stop making a noise but to no avail.
Justice Abange, who found it difficult to continue with the proceedings, sent his police orderly to arrest anyone found making a noise on the corridor of the court despite the court registrar’s warning.
A lawyer was, therefore, arrested while others ran away.
When brought before the judge, it was discovered that he’s a lawyer.
Justice Abange was disappointed, but rather than sending him to prison, he decided to warn him, asking him to go and sin no more.
Noise-making while proceedings is 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. Lawyers praised the judge for allowing him to go home a free person than being remanded in prison for 3 months.”
