SANs to Buhari: Swear In Ariwoola, Appoint More Supreme Court Judges

Yemi Akinseye-George and Deji Adekunle, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and Professors of Law, have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to swear in the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, and fill existing Supreme Court vacancies as soon as possible.

They said such a step would bolster the court’s capacity to effectively deal with the volume of post-election cases next year.

The Professors of Law said this in Abuja at a two-day workshop on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act/Laws (ACJA/Ls) organised by the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) with the support of the MacArthur Foundation.

The workshop was among the programmes organised by the CSLS for young lawyers preparing to serve as advocates for effective implementation of the ACJA/Ls nationwide.

Akinseye-George wondered why President Buhari was delaying the inauguration Justice Ariwoola as the substantive CJN as well as direct the appointment of more hands for the nation’s apex court’s Bench in view of the volume of work before the court.

The Supreme Court, which should have a maximum of 21 Justices, began the year with 17, but that number has now been reduced to 13 following the retirement of Justice Abdu Aboki on August 5.

Since June 27, 2022, Justice Ariwoola has served as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, following the sudden resignation of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad.

“What is delaying the Chief Justice of Nigeria’s inauguration?” Akinseye-George asked. We urge Mr. President to appoint the new Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, as soon as possible.

“He has been in acting capacity now for several months. That should not be. We appeal to the Attorney General of the Federation to draw the attention of Mr. President to the fact that the Chief Justice of Nigeria needs to be sworn in expeditiously.”

The President of CSLS, a law professor, also urged the CJN to initiate measures for the appointment of more Justices to the apex court, saying that every effort should be made to ensure the selection of the best hands.

“I personally do not subscribe to the idea of appointing legal practitioners to the Supreme Court because the culture of a judge differs from that of a practitioner; the upbringing of a practitioner differs from that of a judge,” he added.

“Any legal practitioner wishing to join the Bench should begin at the High Court.”

Adekunle, an ex-Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), said rather than seek to expedite the process of appointing Justices for the Supreme Court, it is better to ensure a transparent appointment process that would allow the selection of the best.

The law expert said such appointment should not be limited to the Bench, calling for the prompt release of sufficient funds to the Judiciary to enable it effectively deliver on its constitutional mandate.

The CSLS Vice President, Mrs. Olaide Akinseye-George, noted that the idea of training young lawyers as ACJA Rangers was meant to engage citizens in deepening the implementation of the ACJA/Ls of the various states. She said the CSLS had trained 130 out of the 370 scheduled for training.

Mrs. Akinseye-George added: “While Nigeria does not lack good laws, the country often suffers from the lack of effective implementation or enforcement of its laws. Thus, many good laws are left on the shelf to gather dust.”

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