Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, the Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has urged Magistrates to always give their best in the discharge of their lawful duty of justice administration in the country.

Baba-Yusuf gave the charged on Monday while declaring open a- two-day workshop organised for magistrates in FCT.

“There should be no excuse for failure,” he said.

He said the Magistracy plays a very crucial role in the administration of justice in the country.

“If we must get it right, it must be at the magistrate level. Once we get it right at the bottom, we will get it right at the top,” he said.

The workshop was organised by The Magistrates Association of Nigeria (MAN) FCT branch in collaboration with an NGO, Fight Against Corruption in Judiciary (FIACIJ) and Duty Solicitors Network (DSN) supported by Rolac.

The theme of the workshop was, “Attaining global best practices in the FCT Magistracy: Challenges and solutions”.

"It is an onerous task for FCT magistrates, considering their heavy docket as a result of the increasing number of cases in the Territory because of its growing population coupled with limited resources.

“It is beyond peradventure that the magistrates’ court is an integral and critical aspect of our justice institution with shared responsibilities for quick dispensation of justice.

“This is indeed an onerous task in view of the heavy docket of the magistrates who must of necessity contend with the increasing number of cases in the FCT as a result of growing population of the city coupled with limited resources,” Baba-Yusuf said.

He submitted that in view of this, the magistrates walk a tightrope in view of the fact that they had to maintain best global practices with the obvious challenges associated with their job.

The CJ added that in this type of atmosphere the Magistrate walks a tight rope as he has to balance the obligation to maintain best global practices in his day to day activities with obvious challenges associated with his job.

"This is undoubtedly a tall task, nevertheless there is no excuse for failure.

"I thank the organisers and development partners for raising the bar of qualitative justice dispensation in FCT through the workshop.

“I gladly identified with the programme taking into account that the FCT Judiciary is a model judicial institution where nothing short of global best practices will suffice in our collective strive for the attainment of justice through the instrumentality of our respective courts” Baba-Yusuf said.

Earlier in his speech, the chairman, FCT, Senior Magistrate Abdulrazaq Eneye, said that the workshop was geared towards equipping the magistrates with the necessary tools with which to function efficiently in all ramifications.

“It goes without saying that our job is a high calling whence justice must be dispensed with the utmost regards to what is just, fair and legal.’

He asserted that magistrates would deliver their best when they are taken care of intellectually and welfare wise, adding that, ‘for it is then they can be held accountable for the use or misuse of the enormous powers bestowed on them.’

He, however, called for the amendment of Section 318 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, so magistrates can be included as judicial officers”.

” The fact that there are or a lack of constitutional provisions to back the functions of magistrates has been begging the issue for sometime now.

” The absence of a properly reinforced magistracy to cushion the effects of inflation, security challenges among others will often time than not creates an enabling environment for corruption.

” Therefore, I am hoping that the speaker today will address this and other issues ancillary to it as well as proffer solutions in this regard” he said.

According to him, Magistrates are the most vulnerable in the current clime of insecurity in the Nation which cannot be over emphasised.