Synagogue: Court to rule in suit seeking to quash inquest
Posted By richards on November 10, 2014
A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed November 17, 2014 to give judgment in a suit seeking to quash the ongoing inquest into the September 12 Synagogue building collapse.
Justice Ibrahim Buba reserved his judgment on Monday after entertaining arguments from the applicant and the respondents in the suit.
A Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, had filed the suit challeging the legality of the coroners inquest and asking that further proceedings should be stopped.
Joined as respondents in the suit are the Lagos State Government, the states Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, and the coroner, Magistrate O. A. Komolafe.
Moving his applications on Monday, Ogungbeje argued that the inquest was constituted in negation of the principle of natural justice as preserved by Section 36 of the Constitution.
Ogungbeje, who stated that the coroners inquest was a judicial investigation, argued that Lagos State could not be a judge in its own case.
The lawyer noted that while the suit was pending in court, government agencies had already testified before the coroner.
He argued that there would be a miscarriage of justice since the verdict of the coroner would be based on such testimonies, which according to him were prejudicial.
The respondents have however raised objections to the lawyers prayer to quash the coroners inquest.
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