The Lagos State Judiciary has organised a four-day training for Sheriffs of the High Court to acquaint them with new civil procedure rules in the legal profession.

Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, speaking at the commencement of the training programme at the Lagos State Judiciary Training School, Herbert Macaulay Crescent, GRA, Ikeja, said the training was aimed at equipping the participants with skills on how to implement certain aspects of the new civil procedure rules.

Oke, represented by Justice Doris Okuwobi at the event, noted that the training was necessary as the State judiciary has concluded plans to introduce automation in the service of court processes in accordance with modern court practices.

In her words, “l will make no pretence that the workforce of the Sheriff Section of the High Court must update their skills. There is the urgent need for reforms in the court system and in accordance with modern court practices. The basis of reforms is to help in the delivery of justice in line with principles of a fair hearing and easy access to justice”.

She maintained that participants at the training have been on the job for many years, as such there is the need to train and retrain them periodically for better performance.

She implored the participants to be open-minded in order to acquire necessary knowledge that will be valuable and essential to them in their line of duty, adding that should maximise the opportunity presented by the workshop to improve themselves.

Justice Oke used the occasion of the training to dispel purported reports of corrupt practices among members of staff, assuring members of the public that the Judiciary will not hesitate to deal decisively with any of its officials caught engaging in any form of corrupt practices.