The Attorney-General of Akwa Ibom State, Uko Udom, SAN has announced that a judge had the power to decide what was contemptuous in his court.
Uko Udom, SAN, the Akwa Ibom state Attorney-General, asserted that a judge has the authority to determine what is contemptuous in his court; he said this on Tuesday while addressing a concern pointing to a lawyer, Inibehe Effiong.
The Attorney-General made this Clear as he responded to a query about the imprisonment of Inibehe Effiong, human rights lawyer who was sentenced to one month in prison by Justice Ekaette Obot the Chief Judge, Akwa Ibom State, for allegedly exhibiting contemptuous attitude during an ongoing Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Meeting held at Lagos
The problem pertaining to the judge’s behavior and the lawyer’s detention was at the Appeal Court, he added, adding that he supported by the rule of law and would take any measure that encouraged the rule of law.
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Udom stated, ‘I was somebody who was trained in the old school, I am a very conservative lawyer and have no apology for that. We were told that we do not talk back to the judge. If a judge says your conduct or your action or your words are contemptuous to the court what you do as a lawyer is to apologize and then explain to the court that it was never your intention to be contemptuous.’
‘Are we saying that the judge does not have the power to commit to contempt? What we were thought is that a judge is the master of the court, a judge must uphold the dignity of the court, a judge is the one that decides whether anything is contemptuous or not.’
‘Let us remember that the judge cannot protest or call a press conference to explain themselves. Let us teach our young ones the ethics of the profession.’
Africa Daily News, New York had previously reported that effiong was incarcerated on July 27 by Justice Obot allegedly for committing contempt of court.
The lawyer spent the first two weeks following the 30 days court sentence; the ruling took place at the Ikot Ekpene Custodial Center of the Nigeria Correctional Service.
Later, he was moved to the Uyo Custodial Center where he concluded the remaining days. According to reports, Effiong was mistreated by prison keepers who shaved his beard and hair.
Justice Obot’s decision to imprison the lawyer has faced heavy opposition from across the nation.
