The Judiciary (financial Autonomy) Law

THE JUDICIARY (FINANCIAL AUTONOMY) LAW

1. Short Title and Commencement. This Law may be cited as The Judiciary (Financial Autonomy) Law and shall come into force on the 8th day of May, 2014.

2. Interpretation. In this Law: "Appropriation Law" means the Delta State Appropriation Law for any particular year and includes any Supplementary Appropriation Law(s) for such year; "Chief Judge" means the Chief Judge of Delta State; "Consolidated Revenue Fund" means the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Delta State; "Constitution" means the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended); "Customary Court of Appeal" means the Delta State Customary Court of Appeal; "Governor" means the Governor of Delta State; "Heads of Court" means the Chief Judge. and the President, Customary Court of Appeal; "President" means the President of the Delta State Customary Court of Appeal; "State" means Delta State of Nigeria; "State Judiciary" means the High Court department, Customary Court of Appeal department, the Judicial Service Commission and the Multi-Door Court House.

3. Quarterly release of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund under Sec. 121(3) of the CFRN 1999 (as amended). (1) The Governor shall in consonance with the provisions of Section 121(3) of the Constitution cause funds in the Consolidated Revenue Fund to be released quarterly to the Chief Judge, for the High Court Department. (2) The Governor shall in consonance with the provisions of Section 121(2) of the Constitution cause funds in the Consolidated Revenue Fund to be released quarterly to the President of the Customary Court of Appeal for the Customary Court of Appeal Department.

4. Compulsory release of funds by the relevant officials. Subject to Section 3 of this Law, the Commissioner charged with the responsibility for Finance in the State, the Accountant-General of the State and all other relevant officials of the Government of the State shall ensure that funds to the State Judiciary are released quarterly to the Heads of the Courts mentioned in Section 3 of this Law.

5. Reduction in appropriated Funds of the State Judiciary. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the Governor may direct that the funds appropriated in the Appropriation Law in favour of the State Judiciary be reduced in the quarter in accordance with the proportion of any shortfall in the revenue of the State for that particular quarter.

6. Compliance with extant Laws, financial rules and regulations. The Heads of Courts shall in the expenditure of funds received pursuant to this Law, comply with all extant laws financial rules and regulations in the State.

7. Quarterly submission of audited accounts. The Heads of Courts shall cause to be submitted to the Auditor-General, financial statements and appropriate document of quarterly audited accounts on the funds received from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.