By Judicial Correspondent, July 30, 2026.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Jalingo Branch, and the Magistrates Association of Nigeria (MAN), Taraba State Chapter, have introduced a raft of measures aimed at improving the administration of justice, strengthening professional ethics, and enhancing cooperation between lawyers and the lower bench in the state.
The resolutions were reached at a joint meeting of the leadership of both bodies held on Wednesday at the NBA Bar Centre in Jalingo, where participants deliberated on challenges affecting judicial efficiency, courtroom decorum and the relationship between magistrates and legal practitioners.
A key resolution from the meeting mandates Magistrates and Judges of the Lower Courts to commence court sittings promptly at 9:00 a.m. beginning Monday, August 3, 2026. Lawyers were also directed to be punctual, while counsel unable to attend proceedings must submit adjournment letters at least 24 hours before the scheduled hearing. The meeting further warned against frivolous applications intended to delay the determination of cases.
The communiqué also cautioned members of the Bar against filing unnecessary petitions against magistrates and judges, noting that such petitions are often used to frustrate or delay court proceedings. At the same time, judicial officers were urged to uphold impartiality, maintain judicial temperament and avoid displaying bias while presiding over cases.
In a move to improve relations between the Bar and the Bench, the meeting resolved that magistrates and judges should refrain from ordering the detention of lawyers over perceived professional misconduct during court proceedings. Instead, judicial officers were advised to first engage the leadership of the NBA Jalingo Branch and the Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Taraba State Chapter, for administrative intervention before taking further action.
To institutionalise dialogue and resolve emerging concerns, the NBA Jalingo Branch announced plans to establish a Bar-Bench Committee that will meet periodically with the Magistrates Association. Both bodies also agreed that lawyers and judicial officers must maintain mutual respect, courtesy and professionalism in court, while judges and magistrates were empowered to deny audience to any lawyer who appears before the court without complying with the prescribed professional dress code.
The meeting further discouraged lawyers from standing as sureties for litigants in matters pending before the lower courts in order to preserve professional independence and ethical standards. It also approved the organisation of a Bar-Bench-Security Agencies Trialogue to bring together legal practitioners, judicial officers and security agencies to address operational challenges affecting the justice sector and security administration in Taraba State.
In the communiqué jointly signed by the Chairman of the NBA, Jalingo Branch, Dr. Daniel P. Saredau, and the Chairman of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Taraba State Chapter, Hon. Chris Jonah, both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the rule of law, ensuring the speedy dispensation of justice and protecting the integrity of the legal profession. They urged all stakeholders to comply strictly with the resolutions in the interest of justice across the state.
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