Justice Matilda Ayemieye, the chief judge of Bayelsa, has advised lawyers in the state to maintain ethical standards of the legal profession and respect judicial officers.

She gave the advice on Wednesday during a programme tagged ‘Bar/Bench forum’ held as part of activities to kick-start the 2024 legal year at the Bayelsa High Court.

Ms Ayemieye also tasked legal practitioners on professional growth.

“The members of the bench must be respected by members of the bar. We need each other in our professional and career growth. The habit put up by some lawyers in the cause of their practice when they appear before judges of the Bayelsa State judiciary is quite disrespectful.

“Imagine a lawyer telling a judge right in the court that he would appeal his ruling. That’s not our concern as judges, you don’t need to say it to our hearing after our judgments.

“Go and file your appeal, and stop complaining in our courts. Judges must be respected, magistrates and customary courts chairmen must all be respected too,” she said.

Also speaking, the commissioner for justice and attorney general, Biriyai Dambo, lauded the judiciary for the arduous task of dispensing justice.

He pledged the government’s continued synergy with the judiciary to foot all outstanding judgment debts owed.

Mr Dambo said Governor Douye Diri was passionate about the independence of the judiciary for the general good of the state and citizens.

He also said that the governor was committed to prioritising judicial officers’ welfare issues.

Somina Johnbull, the chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association in Yenagoa, applauded the state judiciary on the nitch carved out by judicial officers in dispensing justice.

Dignitaries at the event include representatives of the police commissioner, Alonyenu Francis Idu, and the state command of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

(NAN)