Foundation Intensifies Fight Against Politicisation Of Judiciary

The CLEEN Foundation has intensified efforts to strengthen ethical reporting and curb the politicisation of judicial processes.

It said the media remains the most strategic partner in promoting speedy and accountable justice delivery nationwide.

At a three-day training on Human Rights Protection and Reporting on the State ACJL, the executive director of the foundation, Peter Maduoma, urged journalists to deepen their watchdog role by delivering stronger, more accountable reporting on human rights, the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

He said the initiative aligns with the organisation’s mandate to equip the media as frontline actors in promoting transparency, citizen rights and institutional reforms.

Speaking after the presentation of new policy brief, the director of programmes, Saluddeen Hashim, said the foundation was prioritising improved engagement with journalists to ensure that reports emerging from the justice sector monitoring are well understood and professionally applied.

He said the organisation expects to see increased awareness from the media and improved speedy dispensation of justice by state actors as monitoring continues into the next quarter.

Hashim lamented that compliance with the ACJL remains weak in several states, noting that the spirit of the law is being undermined in ways that affect timely justice delivery.

He warned that the growing politicisation of judicial processes and the rising trend of media trials in strategic cases pose serious risks to the integrity of the justice system.

Hashim noted that high-profile cases have recently suffered undue public pressure, creating consequences for judicial officers and weakening public confidence in outcomes.

He further explained that the toolkit unveiled by the organisation seeks to equip journalists with a stronger understanding of ethics in reporting, monitoring, and following justice-sector proceedings, stressing that access to justice remains a fundamental human right.

Hashim added that media practitioners must see journalism as a calling, not just a profession, especially when engaging in investigative reporting.