Upholding the law and achieving greatness – Part 3

In this country, it is observed that someone can be convicted of a crime and he contests an election and wins and another commits the same crime and he is imprisoned.

The law should not be prejudiced against some people or judgements perverted because of status. Let our judges be like a judge I read about. He started proceedings in court with this announcement: “Gentlemen, I have in my hand two cheques: a bribe you might call it. One from the defendant for $15, 000 and the other from the plaintiff for $10, 000. My decision is to return $5, 000 to the defendant and try the case strictly on its merits.” That is justice. We want to be treated with justice.

In other words, justice has to do with equal application of the law. We want the law to be applied equally if this country must achieve greatness. There should be no room for selective justice. The law should treat the rich and the poor equally. If this is so applied, some people will not be languishing in corrective centres because they have nobody, while some who have somebody are walking freely on the streets.

They say that “Justice delayed is justice denied.” There is also a saying that “delay is dangerous”.
When there is a delay, freedom is lost and money is lost. Time is also lost. It could even lead to death. What causes the delay? Is it the lawyers or the judges? Or is it the case of “I have nobody”.

In John Chapter 5:1ff, a story was told of a certain man who was sick for 38 years and sat by the pool of Bethseda. Sick people got healed when the water was stirred by an Angel and they jump in first. Jesus asked this man if he wanted to be healed and the man complained that he had “nobody” to put him into the pool when the water was stirred. Those whose justice is delayed and denied, could it be a case of I have “nobody”. They have nobody to help them get justice, while those who have somebody, who have contacts and connections get justice.

This is a perversion of justice. Leviticus 19:15 says do not pervert justice and Deut. 27:9 Cursed be the man who perverts justice.

In this country, people disobey the law with impunity. People disobey court judgments and orders. Check out the developed nations, they are developed because the people follow the rules of living. When we travel to these countries, we are very careful to obey their laws, less we contravene the law and face its consequences. A country where the laws are not obeyed can never be great. We should obey the laws of the land because it is for our good and for us to be great.

(Text of the sermon preached at the 2021/2022 Legal Year Opening Ceremony of Rivers State, Judiciary on Thursday, 11th November 2021 at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Diobu, Port Harcourt by The Most Rev. Dr. Blessing C. Enyindah, JP, Archbishop, Niger Delta Province and Bishop, Diocese of Ikwerre [Anglican Communion])
TO BE CONTINUED