Amaechi signs amended High Court law

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has signed into law the amended 2014 State High Court Bill.

He signed the bill at the Government House around 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday 11 June.

The Rivers State House of Assembly passed the bill, which amended Section 40 of the Principal Law of 2001 also on Wednesday.

Section 40 of the Principal Law, which was passed by the fifth Legislative Assembly, added a new sub-section 2, that read: “Where the office of the Chief Judge is vacant and it is impracticable to appoint an acting Chief Judge, or a Chief Judge, the Chief Registrar shall assign cases to any judge and perform other administrative duties until an acting Chief Judge of a Chief Judge is appointed”

The passing of the bill took place at the Old Government House, Port Harcourt, barely two hours after a public hearing on the bill was organised by the House Committee on Judiciary.

The House passed the bill by unanimous decision, as the 17 lawmakers present, excluding the Deputy Speaker, Leyii Kwanee, who presided over the session, voted for the amendment.

The Deputy Speaker thanked his colleagues for the sacrifice they made in the passage of the bill, pointing out that no amount of sacrifice would be sufficient to ensure the peace and progress of the state.

“I want to thank my colleagues for your support and sacrifice in the quick passage of the bill. It is for the peace and progress of this state that we took the decision. All of our constituents are suffering and the judiciary has to function”.

He directed the clerk of the House to deliver a copy of their resolution to the state Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, for his assent, stating that, even if it would require them to sit at midnight, to ensure that the judiciary returned to work soonest, that the House of Assembly was ready.

Earlier, at the public hearing, Kwanee reiterated that no amount of intimidation and harassment would stop the lawmakers from carrying out their legislative functions. He added that the Assembly had the responsibility to make laws and, also, ensure that there was stability in the polity.

Chairman of the Committee and sponsor of the Bill, Golden Chioma, representing Etche Constituency II, said that the essence of the bill was to ensure that there was not vacancy in the judiciary.

He stated that the amendment would remove some lacuna found in the Principal law.