The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has reaffirmed her commitment to deepening reforms within the judiciary to ensure efficient and effective justice delivery across the country.
Justice Kekere-Ekun pledged on Monday at the Supreme Court in Abuja during the swearing-in ceremony of 57 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), marking the commencement of the 2025/2026 legal year.
The CJN emphasized her resolve to uphold transparency, judicial excellence, and institutional reforms that will strengthen the justice system. She called on the legislature to enact laws that would promote judicial independence, enhance anti-corruption mechanisms, and streamline court processes.
Justice Kekere-Ekun also urged the executive arm of government, particularly at the state level, to ensure adequate funding of the judiciary, improve infrastructure, and support technological innovations in court operations.
She expressed concern over the persistent underfunding of the judiciary at the sub-national level, warning that the trend could negatively impact the effectiveness and integrity of the justice system.
“The challenges confronting the judiciary require a collaborative effort among all three arms of government, as well as active participation from the citizens,” she said.
Highlighting reforms already implemented, the CJN listed the restructuring of the Supreme Court’s litigation department, digitisation of court records, and establishment of specialised units such as the Case Continuation Unit and the Central Information Unit.
She revealed that in the 2024/2025 legal year, the Supreme Court considered 2,280 matters — comprising 560 appeals and 1,720 motions — and delivered 369 judgments, representing a 49 per cent increase from the previous year’s 247 judgments.
In his remarks, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, commended the CJN’s commitment to judicial reforms. He urged judges to uphold independence, impartiality, and accountability in the discharge of their duties.
“It is concerning to see the negative perception indexes of our judiciary. The judiciary must remain principled, independent, and impartial to retain public trust,” Fagbemi said.
He, however, acknowledged the judiciary’s constitutional interventions and praised the CJN for her swift reform initiatives since her confirmation in September 2024.
The SAN conferment, regarded as the highest professional honour in the Nigerian legal profession, is reserved for practitioners who have achieved exceptional distinction in law, either as advocates or academics.
Among those sworn in were Shuaibu Labaran, Secretary to the Nasarawa State Government and former federal prosecutor; Olanrewaju Akinsola, a commercial litigation and tax advisory expert known for his legal history blog Onigegewura; Preye Agedah, former Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Bayelsa State Ministry of Justice; and Chima Ubanyionwu, a legal scholar and former NBA Aguata Branch Chairman, selected under the academic category.
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