NJC queries judge for walking out bearded lawyer

[DT]

A judge of the High Court Nasarawa State, Justice Rose Soji, has been queried by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for allegedly denying a lawyer right of appearance before her court because she did not like his appearance.  The lawyer, Isa Hassan Nalaraba, who is an employee of the Nasarawa State Ministry Justice, had petitioned the NJC asking it to investigate and apply appropriate sanctions against Soji over alleged "bigotry, nepotism, denial of right of appearance, humiliation and high handedness."

The petitioner, in a petition to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, alleged that he was humiliated and denied the right of appearance before Justice Soji's Court because he was putting on beards that makes him look like a "Sheikh."

Musdapher has also forwarded the petition to the NJC, which in turn issued the query to Soji, giving her two weeks to answer.

Nalaraba in the petition dated April 19, said on both occasions Soji said his beards made him look like a Sheikh.

"I have has been denied appearance twice before the Justice R. G. Soji, humiliated, insulted and literally worked me out of her Court with a warning not to return unless 1 shaved my beards."

"The first incident was on the 3rd day of April, 2012 ... When I stood up to announce my appearance, Justice R. C. Soji said and I quote 'who is this sheikh". I pretended not to hear her because I thought His Lordship was merely cracking a joke. I went ahead to announce my appearance, His Lordship refused to take my appearance but instead added in the open Court and I quote 'why are you looking very dirty' I politely replied, 'I cannot see any dirt on me, My lord then added 'why are you putting up this beards, they are dirty,' I replied 'my Religion encourages me to put it on, I do not see it as dirty."

He also alleged that the judge was in the habit of discriminating against Muslim lawyers in her court as she had also harassed another lawyer for keeping his beards and a female counsel for wearing a scarf under her wig.

The Nasarawa State Attorney General Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi, who was also served the petition, confirmed receiving the petition, noting that that matter is being investigated.

Abdullahi said, "A judge is under an obligation not to discriminate against not only litigants, but even counsels appearing before them for whatever reason as long as such lawyers have been duly called to the bar, have paid their practicing fees and are properly dressed for court. It will be most unfortunate if a judge discriminates against a counsel merely because they keep beards."

In the petition, Nalaraba alleged that after he reported the incident to the Chief Judge, he promptly directed the Chief Registrar of the High Court to caution Soji.

But the Chief Registrar Daniel Adeck said although he was aware of the petition, he never received a directive to warn the judge.

Daily Trust