The Pakistanis hired chief justice Muhhamed Arif,  has refused to entertain
an injunction request filed by the Gambia press union and three other
independent newspapers, the Point, The Independent and the News and Report
Magazine to prevent the draconian media Commission from registering its
members, reliable sources revealed yesterday.  The judge flatly declined  to
give reason for his refusual to grant injunction to the journalists who out
challenge the consitutionality of the media commission legislation, which is
designed to silence dissent and end press freedom in the tiny West African
country.

Hawa Sisay Sabally defence lawyer for the journalists had insisted that the
chief justice to provide a written ruling indicating the reasons for his
refusual to entertain the suit.  The judge promised to give reasons for his
action.   Another Nigerian  high court judge whose appointment was not
highly welcomed by the Bar association also dismised a  an appilication for
the high court to order the judicial commission to recommend to the
president for the appointment of judges at the supreme court.  The said
court has not been sitting for about one year.  Most of the judges are
either sacked, resigned or forcefully retired.   The journalists wanted the
supreme court to be fully constituted to enable the fair hearing of their
case.  But the judge Paul says the Attorney for the plaintiffs adopted the
wrong approach in bringing the suit to court.  He ruled that the journalists
should  have lodged a formal request to the judicial service commission
before going to court.  Well Hawa has since dispatched a letter to the
chairperson of the judicial service commission demanding the appointment of
judges into the supreme court.

Many lawyers are refusing to accept working with  the judiciary due to lack
of independence.  There is a lot of executive interference.    In fact the
foreign judges from the Nigeria have ceased coming.  They are not given the
free hand to work.  Some after serving their contracts, they left for home.
They refused to renew their contracts.  The common wealth technical judges
are nolonger coming.  We seen what happened to justice chomba and Kabalata.
These people were not the least happy with what is hapening.

Now Joesph Joof had been forced to resigned, they could't get some one to
replace him.  My sources say most of the people they approached refused to
work with the regime.  This is a serious situation.  That the regime is
finding it difficult to get people to work for them.  There is no job
security in Jameh's regime.  AG's never serve for more than two years.  I am
told that the chief justice's contract is about to expire.  Lawyer Ousman
sillah was approached, but he flatly refused, said my sources.  Lawyer
sheriff Tambadou also refused to serve as AG.  This is a serious
development.

The judiciary is last hope for nation and its people.  And any attempt to
compromise its independence, it could be devastating.  Now many people don't
have hope in the judiciary.  We have seen judicial staff openly declaring
their loyality for the regime.  A classical case is Magistrate King.  He was
sent on prigrimage to Mecca.  He was rewarded for the what they called"good
job" he had been doing for the state.  He did stop at that.  He end up
extorting funds belonging to the state.  He is now in America.  He
dispatched a letter to the chief justice announcing his resignation.  Now
what will happen to the enquiry set up to probe into magistrate Sanyang's
alleagtions of corruption, and abuse office against his colleague king?  I
think would be a waste venture.  King has already bid fare well to his
colleagues.  He knew had a case to answer and coming back home means going
to prisons.  He was accused of diveritng courts fines and fees into his
personal use.  In addition King was also said to be receiving bribes from
poor litigants.  Judicial officials are expeceted to observe the law and to
break the law. If the trend continues many will cease going to court to seek
justice, becuse what is happening at the moment is day light robbery.

We need a  clean society, free of corruption and dictatorship.  Peace.

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