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The Judiciary of Rivers State is a branch of the Government of Rivers State that has sole authority and responsibility for the interpretation and application of the state's laws as well as the adjudication of disputes or controversies. [1]
The Judiciary consists of eight courts: the High Court of Justice, the Magistrates Courts, the Customary Courts, the Juveniles Courts, the Revenue Courts, the Sanitation Courts, the Mobile Courts and Ports Related Offences Courts. It is governed mainly by the Chief Judge of the High Court of Justice. There are about 26 serving judges in the High Court of Justice, which comprises 10 Judicial Divisions including Port Harcourt, Ahoada, Degema, Nchia, Bori, Omoku, Isiokpo, Okrika, Okehi, and Oyigbo. There are also 44 serving magistrates in the magisterial districts of Abua, Ahoada, Akinima, Bonny, Bori, Port Harcourt, Degema, Elimgbu, Isiokpo, Kpor, Nchia, Ngo, Ndoni, Okehi, Okrika, Omoku, Elele, Oyigbo, Igwuruta, Rumuepirikom, Obio, Eberi-Omuma, Ozuoba, Rumuodomaya, Tai, Emohua, and Ubima. Customary Courts are found in almost every district of the state, although, unlike other courts may operate without legally trained magistrates. [2]
The administrative structure of the Rivers State judicial system is made up of Sections or Directorates under the office of the Chief Registrar. They include: the administration, the library services and documentation, litigation, appeals, magistracy, probate, sheriffs, accounts and records, courts, public relations/protocol, transport, and works/general duties. In some cases, the Chief Registrar may perform the role of the Head of Administration, the Probate Registrar, the Sheriff and the Chief Accounting Officer of the Judiciary. The Chief Registrar is supported by other officiers like the Deputy Chief Registrars handling administration and litigation. Non-judicial officers such as the Assistant Chief Registrars/Sectional Heads, Principal Registrars, Senior Registrars, Higher Registrars, Registrars, Clerical Officers and other categories of staff also assist the judges and magistrates in the administration of justice. [2]
Rivers State, also known simply as Rivers, is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. According to census data released in 2006, the state has a population of 5,198,716, making it the sixth-most populous state in the country. Its capital and largest city, Port Harcourt, is economically significant as the centre of Nigeria's oil industry. Rivers State is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo and Abia, to the East by Akwa Ibom State, and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states. It is home of many ethnic group,majorly :Ikwerre people, Ikwerre, a subgroup of the Igbo Ethnic Group, Ijaw Subgroups, Ogoni people and many other ethnic groups. The people from Rivers State are known as "Riverians".
The Nigerian National Assembly delegation from Rivers comprises three Senators representing Rivers East, Rivers West, Rivers South East and thirteen Representatives representing Degema/Bonny, Okrika/Ogu-Bolo, Asalga/Akulga, Ahoada West/Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, Port Harcourt 1, Ikwerre/Emohua, Khana/Gokana, Etche/Omuma, Tai/Eleme/Oyigbo, Abua-Odual/Ahoada East, Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt 2, Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro.
The Supreme Court of Mauritius is the highest court of Mauritius and is the final court of appeal in the Mauritian judicial system. It was established in its current form in 1850, replacing the Cour d'Appel established in 1808 during the French administration and has a permanent seat in Port Louis. There is a right of appeal from the Supreme Court of Mauritius directly to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.
The Judiciary of Kenya is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in Kenya. After the promulgation of the constitution of Kenya in 2010, the general public, through parliament, sought to reform the judiciary. Parliament passed the Magistrates and Judges Vetting Act of 2011. A major part of reforming the judiciary was the vetting of Magistrates and Judges in an attempt to weed out unsuitable ones. The Judicature Act has also been amended to raise the minimum number of Magistrates and Judges allowing more judicial officers to be hired. More magistrates and judges are needed to clear the backlog of cases that have caused great delay in the conclusion of cases and to staff new courts. New courts are needed to bring the courts closer to the people which is in line with devolution, a major principle written into the Constitution of 2010. New courts like the High Court opened in Garissa in November 2014 is a good example. In the past residents of North Eastern Kenya had to go all the way to Embu to access a High Court.
Samuel Eson Johnson Ecoma was a Nigerian jurist and the Chief Judge of Cross River State appointed in March 1990. He was called to the English Bar in June, 1961 and to the Nigerian Bar in August 1963.
The Rivers State Police Command is the state branch of the Nigeria Police Force in Rivers State. It is responsible for maintaining public order and safety, enforcing the law, and preventing crime. The Rivers State police has 9 area commands with 52 divisional police headquarters, 25 police stations and 23 police outposts. It is headed by a Commissioner of Police and has a staff strength of about 17,207.
The Lagos State Judiciary is one of the three co-equal branches of the Lagos State Government organized under the Constitution of Nigeria and laws of the Lagos State government. The Chief Judges are appointed by the Lagos State Governor with the consent of the House of Assembly to serve until the end of their tenure, resigned, impeached and convicted, retire, or die.
The High Court of Justice, Rivers State's highest court, is composed of the Chief Judge of Rivers State and such number of judges appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council and subject to confirmation by the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Eberechi Suzzette Wike is a judge of the Rivers State High Court of Justice. She is married to current Governor Ezenwo Wike and is the First Lady of Rivers State since 29 May 2015.
Daisy Wotube Okocha served as the 7th Chief Judge of Rivers State, in charge of the state's High Court of Justice, and Judicial Service Commission. She was appointed to the office by Governor Ezenwo Wike on 4 January 2016, and held it until her retirement on 15 January 2016. She had also served as Chief Judge in an acting capacity before attaining the substantive appointment.
Elections in Rivers State are supervised and conducted by two major electoral bodies, Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). There are 23 local government areas, 319 electoral wards and 4442 polling units in the state. Elections for Governor and the House of Assembly are held every four years, along with federal elections for President and the National Assembly.
The following is a timeline of the governorship of Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, also known as the Wike administration, from his inauguration as Governor of Rivers State on 29 May 2015 to present.
Lagos State Government is the government of Lagos State, concerned with the administration of the state ministries. The government consists of the executive, legislative and Judiciary. The government is headed by the Governor who is the policy-maker and often assisted by the commissioners and other civil servants of the state.
Port Harcourt Local Government Area (PHALGA) is a local government area of Rivers State in southern Nigeria. It is one of the 23 local government areas created for the state. Its administrative seat is located in Port Harcourt. Although the local government consists of two different ethnic groups the Okrika(Ijaw) in the South and Ikwerre (Igbo) in the North, it has been advised that the local government be divided into two homogeneous local governments.
The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to Rivers State, Nigeria.
Akwa Ibom State Government is the government of Akwa Ibom, concerned with the administration of the state ministries. The government consists of Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. The government is headed by the Akwa Ibom State Governor who is the policy-maker and often assisted by the commissioners and other civil servant of the state.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Rivers State:
Obio is one of the seven groups of the ancient Ikwerre ethnic nationality. The Community constitute part of Obio/Akpo Local Government Area and entire Port Harcourt Local Government Area both in Rivers State of Nigeria.
The Kaduna State Judiciary is the third arm of government in the state government, while the other two being the Executive and the Legislature. It is organized under the Nigerian constitution and laws of the Kaduna State.The state judiciary is responsible for the administration of Justice in the state, it adjudicates in disputes between the state government and any other persons within its jurisdiction. The Chief Judge is appointed by the Kaduna State Governor with the consent of the House of Assembly to serve until the end of their tenure, resigned, impeached and convicted, retire, or die.
