The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters has made a request for additional funding of the judiciary in next year’s budget.
It thus went ahead to increase the budget to N130 billion from N120 billion presented by President Muhammadu Buhari.
It said this will enable the Judiciary to achieve its objectives.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee, who spoke on Thursday with newsmen after he presented the Budget to the Appropriation Committee, said: “As we speak, there are people awaiting trial as a result of insecurity: call them gunmen, bandits, terrorists, whatever you call them, the truth is there is so much additional burden on the judiciary.
“Of course, there must be fair hearing for suspects apprehended and it is additional responsibility for the judiciary.
“So, they need more money.
“The COVID has also made it imperative to deploy technology for virtual hearing.
“All of these demand money.
“We are talking of all levels of Court: from Magistrate to the Supreme Court, aside the special courts like Arbitration.
“So, both Committees in both chambers are asking for more money for the judiciary.”
Asked about the secrecy surrounding the budget of the judiciary, the Chairman dismissed it as a none issue as he noted that it was not peculiar to the judiciary.
Bamidele said: “It isn’t our responsibility to monitor their expenditure, but it is important that whatever is allocated under the National Judicial Commission is judiciously used.
“The secrecy you talked about isn’t peculiar to the judiciary.
“No one is asking about the budget of the Department of State Services or National Intelligence Agency.
“Their budget (judiciary) isn’t up to one per cent of the entire budget.
“We may choose to sensationalise it, but public interest is better served if the budget of the judiciary is at least one per cent of the entire budget.
“We need a well funded judiciary so that its independence isn’t compromised.”