Chief Justice of Nigeria

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 Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad who was appointed 22 March 2019. He took over from the controversially appointed on 25 January 2019 by the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in acting capacity, pending the determination of the trial against Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen the former Chief Justice, by the Code of Conduct Tribunal. The Supreme Court of Nigeria is the highest court in Nigeria and its decisions are 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

Source: Federal Judicial Service Commission, Nigeria

Chief JusticeTerm
Sir Edwin Speed1914–1918
Sir Ralph Combe1918–1929
Donald Kingdon1929–1946
Sir John Verity1946–1954
Sir Stafford Sutton1955–1958
Sir Adetokunbo Ademola1958–1972
Taslim Olawale Elias1972–1975
Darnley Arthur Alexander1975–1979
Atanda Fatai Williams1979–1983
George Sodeinde Sowemimo1983–1985
Ayo Gabriel Irikefe1985–1987
Mohammed Bello1987–1995
Muhammad Lawal Uwais1995–2006
Salihu Moddibo Alfa Belgore2006–2007
Idris Legbo Kutigi2007–2009
Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu2009–2011
Dahiru Musdapher2011–2012
Aloma Mariam Mukhtar[2][3]2012–2014
Mahmud Mohammed2014–2016
Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen2017–2019
Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad 2019–present

List of previous Chief Justices
Lagos (1863 – 1929)
  • Sir William Nicholl (1902 – 1908)
  • Sir 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
  1. "Constitution". The National Judicial Council. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  2. "ALOMA MUKHTAR: Making of Nigeria's Female CJN". P.M. News. Independent Communications Network Limited. 16 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  3. "Jonathan swears in Nigeria's first female chief justice". The Punch. Ajibola Ogunsola. 16 July 2012. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.


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