*Lagos AG Pedro: “Judges’ UK Retreat Not a Jamboree, Facilitators Are Judges”

The Lagos State Judiciary has announced that 75 of its judges are set to proceed to Brighton, United Kingdom, for their one-week annual retreat and conference from July 15-19, 2024.

The decision has sparked heated debates among lawyers and justice stakeholders regarding the appropriateness of such travel during Nigeria’s current economic hardships.
In an interview with Ogunsakin Mustapha from thegavel.com.ng, Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba, defended the retreat, stating, “The retreat is well planned to take place during the Settlement Week when only arbitration, mediation, and conciliation is expected to take place.

There are staff designated to handle arbitration. The Settlement Week is a provision of the law to enable settlement of disputes without getting in proper court trials. This is the time the retreat will take place.”

Justice Alogba emphasized that the trip is being made on a lean budget, saying, “Nobody, including myself, is flying first class. We are all flying premium economy. The judges are also not getting their full estacodes but meager allowances compared to what their contemporaries in the executive or legislature are getting for such travels. The accommodation is a three-star hotel rather than a five-star hotel.”

The Chief Judge further explained, “We are also going to strategize over our activities in the new legal year.”

Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Lawal Pedro SAN, also spoke with Ogunsakin Mustapha, supporting the retreat and insisting, “It is not a mere jamboree that they would be going for.

They will also have been invited, so there would obviously already be facilitators for the event, who are also judges. If it would be an experience that they would learn and benefit from, just for one week and even fall within their vacation period, then why not?”

Alhaji Pedro also clarified, “No, that is a lie. No such thing happened,” when asked if the Lagos State government sponsored nine judges to Hajj this year. He explained, “The only ones who could have gotten such treatment, if it hasn’t been canceled yet, would be those who were part of the Hajj Tribunal, which I have served in before.”

Despite the justifications provided by the Chief Judge and Attorney General, concerns remain among stakeholders about the cost of the trip, estimated to be around ₦500 million, and the potential impact on judicial proceedings during the judges’ absence.