The reset agenda has undoubtedly impacted negatively and dangerously on the administration of justice and policing and it is worrying.
The situation could not have been captured better than in the words of Lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor when following the bail denial ruling of the Circuit Court Judge sitting on the Abronye case said “after reading the reasoning of this Circuit Court Judge (on the Abronye case), I sincerely and honestly believe he is not fit to remain on the bench.”
Of course the law lies in the bosom of the judge sitting on a case at a particular time.
Nothing should be done to impair the dispensation of justice. When however reasoning by judges give room for questions to be posed about the quality of these premises the tendency for waning confidence in the judicial system is provided mammoth impetus.
Judges can quote authorities and cases especially from the Commonwealth countries to buttress their decisions.
Choosing Animal Farm however in matters of law triggers questions about the quality of justice.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm was premised upon the fact that there is injustice in society and that although all are equal in some instances this does not hold. Some must be treated differently because they are special; this is against the spirit of the law.
For a society that seeks to grow and where the rule of law holds sway gleefully displaying the meaning of the Animal Farm to deny bail to a suspect in a misdemeanour case will definitely trigger the magnitude of public disapproval we are witnessing in the aftermath of the infamous ruling.
Of course there is no doubt that our society is infested with a culture of insults social media providing a hideout for the originators of such offensive language to ply their occupation.
The Circuit Court Judge said if parties cannot clean society of such offensive language which in the judge’s estimation does not inure to the interest of the country the courts will when such cases are brought before them.
The judiciary has a major role to play in ensuring that we live in a society where the law of nature does not thrive. Relying on Animal Farm on matters of law however goes against the dictum of law that all are equal before the law.
The media is abuzz with a bipartisan condemnation of the judge’s reasoning. When it comes to the application of the law the IGP should be treated differently is another aspect of the judge’s issue. Although the case before him is a misdemeanour the target is the IGP and so the charge should be given a different flavour to hang Abronye as per the judge’s ruling.
The suspect was treated like a hardened criminal, handcuffed and his picture in that state splashed across the country to dehumanize him.
This is the face of a reset society and its judicial system.
