The Former President of the National Industrial Court, Justice Babatunde Adejumo OFR (Rtd) has said applying the maximum punishment, particularly in cases of violence against women and girls, can serve as a strong message and deterrence to others.

Justice Adejumo expressed that some cultural values and practices such as male preference, freedom of men to discipline their wives, traditional consideration of women as inheritable properties of men, and the disposition that women are second-class citizens in the society are a few of the significant cultural practices that foster domestic violence against women.

Justice Adejumo made the remark as a lead paper presenter on the Role of the Judiciary in Combating Gender-Based Violence in commemoration of this year’s Federation Internationale De Abogadas (FIDA) week Ondo State branch program held at Royal Birds Hotels and Towers, Alagbaka, Akure, Ondo State.

Federacion Internationale De Abogadas (FIDA) an International Federation of Women Lawyers with National membership in over seventy (70) countries is a non-profit, non-political, voluntary association of women called to the practice of law in Nigeria with the primary role to protect, promote and preserve the rights of women and children in Nigeria.

While urging the association not to relent in the long-held established tradition of strong advocacy in the fight against gender-based violence and continue to be the star child in championing and improving a lot of women, children, and the vulnerable in society, he said full and total implementation of Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 signed into law by his Excellency Arakunrin Akeredolu in 2021 would be a major step forward in providing a proper legal framework to curb this epidemic problem.

The panel was chaired by Ondo State President Customary Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Eunice Alade.

Other discussants were Hon. Justice Ademola Enikuomehin of Ondo State Judiciary, Hon. Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Ondo State, Sir Charles Titiloye and Chief Magistrate A. Adegoroye.