The
Gambia Bar Association (GBA) has called on all it members to boycott the courts
of the four Nigerian judges forthwith, until further notice.
The
decision to boycott the four courts was contained in a press release signed by
the GBA secretary general, and issued at the end of an emergency general
meeting on 27 March 2017 at the High Court in Banjul.
In
the statement, the association said the appointment of the four judges: Justice
Edward Ogar, Justice Martias Olusegun Agboola, Justice Simeon Abi and Justice
Martins U. Okoi, “was not in line with the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of
The Gambia”.
“Members
of the Bar are expected to respect the decision of the general body and not to
appear before these Judges under any circumstances, until further notice,” the
GBA declared.
The
association “shall proceed to file an action to challenge the said
appointments, and to seek an order quashing their appointment and necessary
relief.
“Senior
members of the Gambia Bar Association in collaboration with the executive shall
engage the Judicial Service Commission and the executive of the government
through the Minister of Justice to continue the necessary dialogue and
consultation for the development of the protection of the administration of
justice system,” the release added.
