ByAmb. Hameed Ajibola Jimoh, Esq.
FIGPCM, CGARB. (CERTIFIED GLOBAL PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND MANAGEMENT EXPERT), ACARB. (CHARTERED ARBITRATOR) AND NOTARY PUBLIC FOR NIGERIA.
‘Law’ in a society lays principles for a peaceful co-existence and which sets limits for acts and omissions (without going into the jurisprudence of what a law in the jurisprudence of law means in this paper). Hence, law serves as an instrument of social justice for the purpose of peace reigning on earth or in the society. Lawyers have been called to Bar as professionals and advocates for peace and justice and as Ministers in the temple of justice. Judges too have been appointed through the laws of the land as representatives of God on earth to administer justice for the purpose of peace to reign on earth. Some persons have however been accused of making efforts to pollute the Bar and the Bench (that is to say: lawyers and judges, respectively) by their corrupt acts. It is my humble recommendations that any lawyer or Judge who breaches his oaths of upholding the Rule of Law and promoting the cause of justice should be petitioned against for necessary disciplinary actions because they are advocates of chaos and injustice, hence, devil’s advocates. Some lawyers (with due respect) might not mind to abuse the process of court and also carryout ‘forum shopping’ towards perverting the cause of justice and defeating the end goal of law on earth (that is to say ‘peace’). Some judges too, with due respect to them, would not mind to place their justice or judgment for sale especially to the highest bidder. All these corrupt persons uniformed as lawyers and judges should not be allowed to have a simple time! Necessary disciplinary actions within the bounds of the law must be taken against them either by the litigants or the fellow lawyers. The Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee disciplines erring lawyers while the National Judicial Council of Nigeria disciplines erring judges. All these are to sanitise the justice system for a continuous peace on earth (even Almighty God had to discipline the devil (satan) for his atrocities)!
Furthermore, ‘social justice’ according to ‘Wikipedia Online’, is ‘justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals’ rights are recognized and protected’. According to the same ‘Wikipedia Online’, Social justice assigns rights and duties in the Institutions of society, which enables people to receive the basic benefits and burdens of cooperation. The relevant institutions often include taxation, social insurance, public health, public school, public services, labour law and regulation of markets, to ensure distribution of wealth, and equal opportunity. Social justice is also a concept that is used to describe the movement towards a socially just world, e.g., the Global Justice Movement. In this context, social justice is based on the concepts of human rights and equality, and can be defined as ‘the way in which human rights are manifested in the everyday lives of people at every level of society’. The movements in this regard will be working towards the realization of a world where all members of a society, regardless of background or procedural justice, have basic human rights and equal access to the benefits of their society. The Nigerian Constitution (for instance) encapsulated in Chapter II of the Constitution has these objectives as ‘Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policies’ and Chapter IV of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees human rights of citizens, that if absolutely established by the Nigerian government, would engineer and assure peace in Nigeria (same as in the Constitution of other countries in the globe just as it is contained in the African Charters on Human and People’s Rights (among other international human rights laws)).
The summary of ‘the’social justice’ principles that I am talking about here is that the purpose of law in society is ‘for the realization of a world where all members of a society, regardless of background or procedural justice, have basic human rights and equal access to the benefits of their society’. Where this happens, everyone in the society enjoys ‘peace’. For every ‘right’, however, there is the accompanying ‘duty’. The government has rights just as the citizens. Therefore, the citizens (just as the government) have the corresponding duties to perform. The failure of either the government or its officials saddled with responsibilities (to perform same) is one of the causes of the consequences that leads to lack of peace on earth or in the nation. Also, the failure of the citizen to perform his saddled duties by law is a reason why things continue to fall apart and the centre too cannot hold. To this extent, it is my humble recommendation that for peace (so much cherished by all) to continue to be maintained on earth and around the globe, every nation must continue to make laws to uphold social justice, which has the objective of sustaining peace. Also, every citizen of a nation must perform his duties saddled upon him by law to ensure that he continues to enjoy peace on earth. For instance, citizens have to pay tax(es) where applicable; citizens have to maintain a clean environment; citizens have to avoid doing the ‘don’ts’ or the criminally sanctioned or prohibited acts by law, etc. Where the citizen fulfils his obligations and the government also does fulfil its obligations, the level of sustenance of peace in that nation or on earth is increased. No way, no man is perfect. Nevertheless, the imperfection of man, certain acts and or omissions, if not regulated, could lead to disorderliness, breach of public peace, chaos, etc.
Finally, it is my humble advice that both the government and the citizens of every nation have their duties to perform in ensuring that peace continues to exist in their nation (and on earth as a whole). If we continue to perform these duties, then, Almighty God will always be at our aids where our nature is ‘imperfect’ to complete the area where our human imperfection occurs. However, where the law the government makes is in bad faith (that is to say; is against social justice but: corrupt; discriminatory; self-centered; among others in this regard) and the citizens’ acts of disobedience to law and order as well as rule of law and the interest of justice continues, there are consequences and it means ‘man is yet to see and or experience the full consequences of his actions and or omissions’- God is not to be blamed!
Source: Nigerialawyer
