Justice Roseline Bozimo, the Administrator of National Judicial Institute (NJI), has cautioned judiciary correspondents to be fair, objective, honest and professional in their reportage of the cases that would result from the 2019 general elections.
Bozimo said on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of a two-day workshop for judiciary reporters, that it was envisaged that politicians would approach the courts with grievances after the general elections in February 2019.
The NJI administrator stressed the need for journalists to adhere to the ethics of the profession in their reportage and commentaries on the elections and contending issues that had the ability to shape the destiny of the country.
“Your actions impact on the judiciary; so you must be guided by the code of conduct of your profession.”
According to her, the theme of the workshop, “Fostering a Cordial Working Relationship between the Judiciary Correspondents and the Judiciary”, is carefully crafted to improve the working synergy between the judiciary and the correspondents.
The NJI boss implored the correspondents to see themselves as partners in the growth of the judiciary and the country as the society relied on them for accurate information on what transpired in the judicial system.
“Therefore, you must seek to be objective in your reportage, irrespective of your personal beliefs, inclinations and idiosyncrasies,” Bozimo said.
Earlier, Mr Tunde Oyesina, Chairman, National Association of Judiciary Correspondents (NAJUC), Abuja Chapter, called for improved budgetary allocation for the judiciary.
Oyesina said that although the economic situation of the country was not friendly, it was not out of place to appeal to the executive arm of the Federal Government to increase its allocation to the judiciary.
He said it was also important to ensure prompt release of such allocations when due because of the role the judiciary played in sustaining the democracy of the country.
He also said there was a need for the judiciary to be well funded to train judicial officers and their supporting staff, and where possible, appoint more judges to enable it to cope with the task of handling cases that might arise from the 2019 general elections.
He commended the NJI for its efforts in uplifting the standard of judiciary reporters by building their capacity through the workshop. With reports by NAN
