Chief Justice of Nigeria

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The Chief Justice of Nigeria or CJN is the head of the judicial arm of the government of Nigeria, and presides over the country's Supreme Court and the National Judicial Council.[1] The current Chief Justice is Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen who was appointed by the President on acting capacity after the retirement of Mahmud Mohammed who attained the prescribed retirement age. The Supreme Court of Nigeria is the highest court in Nigeria and its decision is final. The Chief Justice of Nigeria is nominated by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria upon recommendation by the National Judicial Council and is subject to confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The CJN holds office at the pleasure of the Nigerian constitution and can only be removed from office by death or on attainment of age 70 whichever occurs first or by impeachment by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which requires a super majority of the members of the Nigerian Senate

List of Chief Justices[edit]

Source: Federal Judicial Service Commission, Nigeria

Chief Justice Term
Sir Edwin Speed 1914-1918
Sir Ralph Combe 1918-1929
Donald Kingdon 1929-1946
Sir John Verity 1946-1954
Sir Stafford Sutton 1955-1958
Adetokunbo Ademola 1958–1972
Taslim Olawale Elias 1972–1975
Darnley Arthur Alexander 1975–1979
Atanda Fatai Williams 1979–1983
George Sodeinde Sowemimo 1983–1985
Ayo Gabriel Irikefe 1985–1987
Mohammed Bello 1987–1995
Muhammad Lawal Uwais 1995–2006
Salihu Moddibo Alfa Belgore 2006–2007
Idris Legbo Kutigi 2007–2009
Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu 2009–2011
Dahiru Musdapher 2011–2012
Aloma Mariam Mukhtar[2][3] 2012–2014
Mahmud Mohammed 2014–2016
Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen 2017 -

List of previous Chief Justices[edit]

Lagos (1863 – 1929)
  • Sir William Nicholl (1902 – 1908)
  • Thomas Crossley Rayner (1895 – 1902))
  • Sir John Salman Smith (1886 – 1895)
  • James Marshall (1874 – 1886)
  • George French (1867 – 1874)
  • John Carr (1866 – ) (West African Settlements Supreme Court)
  • Benjamin Way (? – 1866)
Northern Nigeria
  • Sir Edwin Speed (1908 – 1913)
  • Sir M R Mendez (1905 – 1908)
  • Henry Cowper Gollan (1901 – 1905)
  • Alastair Davidson (1900 – 1901)
Southern Nigeria
  • Willoughby Osborne (1906 – 1913)
  • Henry Green Kelly (1900 – 1902)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Constitution". The National Judicial Council. Retrieved July 17, 2012. 
  2. ^ "ALOMA MUKHTAR: Making of Nigeria’s Female CJN". P.M. News. Independent Communications Network Limited. July 16, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2012. 
  3. ^ "Jonathan swears in Nigeria’s first female chief justice". The Punch. Ajibola Ogunsola. July 16, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2012. 

External links[edit]

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