Retired judge urges media to oversee courts in Nigeria
Retired Akwa Ibom State High Court judge Ifiok Ukanna has urged journalists to analyse court decisions, expose violations in the justice system and demand that courts be accountable to society. He said this at a symposium in Uyo, Premium Times Nigeria reports.
The symposium, focused on effective coverage of crime and court proceedings, was organised by the Akwa Ibom State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists jointly with the state judiciary. The event was held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists press centre in Uyo.
Openness of the courts
Ukanna said court correspondents should not only report on hearings but also inform the public, question the functioning of the justice system, analyse decisions and expose corruption and violations. According to him, journalists should not abandon their watchdog role because of the risk of mistakes or sanctions for contempt of court, but their confidence should be based on knowledge of the judicial system.
The former judge called the judiciary one of the least covered and least understood branches of government. He urged the media and courts to cooperate to ensure greater openness and better public understanding of judicial procedures. Ukanna also drew attention to the lack of information services in many courts, which, in his opinion, makes accurate coverage of court proceedings more difficult.
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He proposed reserving seats for journalists at hearings of significant public interest and making it easier for accredited reporters to access hearing records, certified copies of court decisions and rulings. In his view, access to authentic documents will help prevent misinterpretation and distortion of the content of decisions.
Verification of information
Akwa Ibom State Police Commissioner Baba Azare urged journalists to verify information before publication, especially in reports on crime, security and ongoing investigations. He warned that inaccurate reporting could harm investigations, people's reputations, security and court proceedings.
Azare stressed the need to distinguish between suspects, accused persons and convicted individuals, since the fact of an arrest alone does not mean guilt. Premium Times regional editor Cletus Ukpong also urged journalists to separate facts from statements, allegations and conclusions, and to consider the potential harm from disclosing the data of victims, witnesses, children and vulnerable people.
