MURIC gives condition for establishing courts for Christians 

The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, says it has no objection to the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN’S, request for Ecclesiastical courts as long as Muslims are not dragged there.

Recall that the Bauchi State chapter of CAN had called on the Federal Government to establish Ecclesiastical courts for Christians, equivalent to the Sharia court for Muslims.

The Christian body had said the courts would ensure that disputes among Clerics and domestic and civil issues concerning Christians would be resolved amicably.

Reacting to the call in a statement issued on Wednesday, the Director of MURIC, Ishaq Akintola, described the request from CAN as fair.

The director said: “Christians are free to demand for their own courts so long as Muslims are not to be dragged to such courts.

“We know Christians already have Christian law in the country. We could have opposed their new demand but we do not have to be petty.

“Let them have as many Christian courts as they wish.

According to the statement, all courts in Nigeria are Christian courts because they originate from the common law introduced by the British in the colonial days.

The statement said: “The Bauchi chapter of CAN cannot tell us that there are no Magistrate courts, High Courts and a Court of Appeal in the whole of Bauchi? Now, what are those courts? Are they not Christian courts?

“We know that nobody can stop Oliver Twist from wanting more. Neither do we need a Charles Dicken to identify the disciples of Oliver Twist in 21st century Nigeria.

“But we want Nigerians to know that Christians already have Christian law in the country because the common law which we have been using since colonial days to date is Christian law.

Our contention that common law is Christian law is based on vehement declarations of British judges on the subject.

“For instance, in the case of Bowman versus Secular Society Limited (1916 – 17), the learned judge said, ‘Ours is, and has always been, a Christian State.

“The English family is built on Christian ideals and if the national religion is not Christian, there is none. English law may well be called Christian law.’ (Bowman versus Secular Society Limited, 1916 – 17, United Kingdom Appeal Case 406). (Agency report)