The National Judicial Council (NJC) has set up 15 committees to investigate allegations of misconduct against Judicial officers of the Federal and State Courts.
The decision of the council, reached at the end of its 99th meeting, was a sequel to the submission of recommendations of three Preliminary Complaint Assessment Committees which considered 66 petitions forwarded to them by the council from all over the Federation.
A statement made available to newsmen on Friday by the Director of Information of the NJC, Soji Oye said, the council however dismissed the petitions against 51 Judicial Officers of the Federal and State High Courts for either lack of merit, being sub-judice, or being matters for an appeal or that the concerned Judge have retired from service.
Oye said that the council was formally presented with the reviewed Judicial Information Technology Policy which established the general requirements and responsibilities for the Nigerian Judiciary systems and information.
The policy, he said, provides for the guidance of courts and judicial bodies in protecting the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability (CIA) of judiciary function and process. It also stipulates guidance for the acceptable use of systems, services and technologies as well as provisions for secure storage of judicial data and recovery processes in the event of emergencies or distress.
“It further provides guidelines and incident management policies including Data Centre deployment and use policies.
“The scope is intended for all courts and judicial bodies in Nigeria including staff of the Nigerian judiciary, employed or contracted to any Judicial Body handling information that is generated, received, stored, transmitted, or printed.
“It encompasses all personal or Judiciary identifiable data held in their courts and judicial bodies’ systems and process including supporting mechanisms and technologies for managing such data at rest or in transit,” the statement added.
Oye said in the statement that all staff are expected to comply with the policy and associated standard protocols and procedures that have been put in place to support the document.
The policy is applicable to all courts unit, and departments of all Judicial Bodies in the Nigerian Judiciary.
Council noted appointments of judicial officers recommended for an appointment at the last meeting who have been sworn–in as Judges of Federal and State High Courts.
Reports from standing and ad-hoc committees of the council were also presented at the meeting as well as notifications of the retirement of 16 Judges and notification of the death of a Judge from the Federal and State High Courts.
