Court gives ex-minister 30 days to apologise over reckless ‘Kangaroo judgment’ comment

The Federal Capital Territory High Court, on Monday, gave a former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Pauline Tallen, 30 days to tender an apology to the judiciary for describing a court judgment as a “kangaroo judgment.”

The court said Tallen risked being barred from holding any public office in Nigeria again if she failed to tender a public apology to be published in The PUNCH and The Guardian newspapers.

The verdict was handed down in suit number CV/816/2016 filed against her by the Nigerian Bar Association.

According to a statement on Monday by the NBA spokesman, Akorede  Lawal, the ex-minister criticised the court after the Federal High Court in Yola,  on October 14, 2022,  nullified the candidature of Aishatu Dahiru, alias Binani, as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress in Adamawa State.

The suit against Binani was filed by Nuhu Ribadu, now the National Security Adviser.

Tallen was said to have described the court verdict in the case as “kangaroo judgment,” to the annoyance of the NBA, which dragged her before the court.

According to the NBA, Tallen made the statement during the Annual General Meeting of her alma mater, Federal Government Girls’ College, Bida on October 16, 2022.

The NBA spokesman said the court on Monday entered judgment against Tallen, describing her remarks as contemptuous and ordering her to tender a public apology within 30 days.

The NBA spokesman said,  “The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory found in favour of the Incorporated Trustees of the NBA and against the defendant, Dame Pauline Tallen, in Suit No: CV/816/2016.

“Consequently, the court declared that the said statement of Dame Pauline Tallen (the defendant) was unconstitutional, careless, reckless, disparaging, a call to disobey the judgment of the court, and therefore contemptuous of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.

“The court also granted, among other reliefs, an injunction restraining Dame Pauline Tallen (the defendant) from holding any public office in Nigeria, unless she purges herself of the ignoble conduct by publishing a personally signed apology letter to Nigerians and the judiciary on a full page of The PUNCH and The Guardian newspapers.

“The court ordered that the injunction restraining the defendant from holding any public office in Nigeria shall become perpetual if she fails to abide by the order directing her to publish an apology letter within 30 days.”

(Punch)

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