Ondo gets Acting Chief Judge

A new Acting Chief Judge for Ondo judiciary has been sworn in.

He is Justice Williams Akintoroye.

Justice Akintoroye replaced Justice Olutoyin Akeredolu who retired last weekend after attaining the age of 65 years.

Speaking after swearing the new Chief Judge, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu charged him to live up to the dictates of his calling.

Akeredolu, who vowed not to seek favour from any Judge, said the judiciary should represent hope for all and sundry.

The Governor said Judges were next to the Almighty while they sat to adjudicate on matters brought before them.

According to him: “The beneficiary of an effective judicial system is the society itself. Every pronouncement emanating from the Bench should act as balm on the bruises of the victims of infractions. A judgement should elicit appropriate feelings from litigants.

“The direct victim of abuse should be convinced that the punishment meted to the aggressor is commensurate to the breach. The defendant should feel the full weight of justice to serve as deterrence.

“The society should heave a sigh of relief for the pronouncement. Thus, the judicial system rests on a tripod. There should be justice for the aggrieved and the aggressor. Society, by extension, the people, must be convinced that a judgement takes interest in its preservation.

“A judge occupies the most important public position. He is next to the Almighty while he sits to adjudicate on matters brought before him. He can pronounce that a person be put to death for committing an offence and it will come to pass.

“He can remove kings from palaces and strip chiefs and men of considerable means off their titles. Presidents, Governors, Legislators and other public officials must defer to the enormity of the power wielded by judicial officers whose pronouncements sometimes become law.

“Therefore, this exalted position is too important than to permit flippancy, frivolities, partisanship and barely disguised acts of moral turpitude.

“Only a fit and proper person should aspire to sit on the Bench. And only such persons should be permitted to wield the power of life and death over other human beings.”

Justice Akintoroye promised to put God first in all his decisions as well as form a synergy with other two arms of government.