John David Phillips
Phillips is not alone in his criticism of government. He received support in 2006 when retiring judge William Ormiston agreed with Phillips’ comments. Chief Justice Marilyn Warren responded to the criticism by saying that "bureaucrats did not tell her what to do". Warren noted that whilst there were disagreements between her and the government from time to time, the judges run the courts, not public servants. Warren said
"The court, as part of our structure of government, is independent. As part of Victoria's constitutional arrangements, the Supreme Court is the third arm of government."
Government of Lagos State
The Lagos State courts consist of three levels of courts. The High Court is an appellate court that operates under discretionary review, meaning that the Court can choose which cases to hear by granting writs of certiorari. It is the court of last resort. The other two levels are the Magistrates and the Customary Court.