The magistrates in Rivers state are urging Governor Siminalayi Fubara to consider raising their retirement age from 60 to 65 years to enhance the judicial sector’s service delivery.
During the 2nd biennial conference of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria in Rivers State, Collins Ali, the chapter chairman, emphasised this need in his keynote address at the ceremonial court hall in the Rivers State High Court complex.
The conference, themed “The Role of Magistrates In Curbing Crime And Ensuring A Peaceful Society,” was attended by magistrates from different state divisions, lawyers, and other judicial officers.
Notable personalities present at the event included the Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, represented by the Attorney General, Dagogo Iboroma SAN, the Chief Judge, Simeon Amadi, represented by retired jurist, Letam Ayordee, and former Justice of the Supreme Court, Mary Odili.
The Attorney General, speaking on behalf of the governor, commended magistrates’ crucial role in criminal justice delivery, acknowledging that they handle about 90% of criminal cases.
In his address, Magistrate Collins Ali appealed to the governor to explore the possibility of increasing the retirement ages of magistrates, urging him to initiate the process by sending an executive bill to the state assembly to review certain laws directly impacting the magistracy.
The three-day conference concluded on Friday, with magistrates in attendance engaging in discussions on the way forward regarding service delivery.