JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA

JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA

SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA JUSTICES

The Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria are appointed by the President of Nigeria on recommendation of the National Judicial Council and subject to the confirmation of the senate.

Pursuant to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, the judgement or decision of the Supreme Court shall not be subject to any further appeal to any other court.

The Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria often sit in 5 member panel to determine most matters and must sit in a panel of seven justices to determine constitutional matters in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.

Below are the profiles of the current justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad CFR

Hon. Mr. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad CFR

About Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad CFR, CJN

Hon. Justice I. T. Muhammad, CFR, CJN was born on the 31st December 1953. He hails from Doguwa, Giade Local Government of Bauchi State. He attended primary school at Giade Primary School from 1961 to 1968. He proceeded to Government Secondary School, Azare from the year 1969 to 1973. His Lordship then proceeded to Abdullahi Bayero University College, Kano for his IJMB from 1975 to 1976. After a successful completion of his course, His Lordship got admission to read Law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1976 to 1980. He attended Nigerian Law School from 1980 to 1981. In furtherance of his educational career, His Lordship went back to the prestigious ABU, Zaria for his Masters Degree in Law (LLM) on Part Time basis, from 1982 to 1984. In order to update himself in the field of Law, His Lordship went back to ABU, Zaria in 1987 to 1998 and obtained his Doctorate Degree (PHD) in Law, also on Part Time basis.

Hon. Justice I. T. Muhammad, CFR was appointed as Magistrate Grade II in 1982 to 1984 with Bauchi State Judiciary. He rose to Senior Magistrate Grade II from 1984 to 1986. His Lordship was appointed as the Provost, College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Bauchi from 1986 to 1989. He was appointed Chief Magistrate/Deputy Chief Registrar, High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja from 1990 to 1991. From 1991 to 1993, he was appointed as Kadi (Judge) of the Sharia Court of Appeal, Bauchi State. His Lordship was elevated to the position of Justice of the Court of Appeal from 1993 to 2006. His Lordship was appointed as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the year 2006 and was sworn in on the 8th of January 2007.

In July 2019, he was appointed and confirmed as a substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria

Hon. Mr. Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour CFR

Hon. Mr. Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour CFR

About Olabode Rhodes-Vivour CFR

On 22nd of March 1951, a bouncing baby boy was born to the family of Honourable Justice (Chief) Akinwumi R. W. Rhodes-Vivour in Lagos Island. According to customs and tradition, he was named eight days after as Olabode Rhodes-Vivour.

He started primary school in 1956. And quite unusually, he attended three (3) different primary schools i.e. Maryland Primary School, Ikeja, Lagos, St. Msthias Primary School, Akure, and Ibadan District Council School, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1963.

Between 1963 and 1968, Honourable Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour attended St. Gregory’s College, Lagos. In 1970, he wrote and passed his Advanced Level Certificate Examinations and proceeded to University of Lagos for his undergraduate studies. He graduated from University of Lagos in 1974 with honours, and thereafter he was admitted into the Nigerian Law School, and was called to the Bar in 1975.

Honourable Justices Olabode Rhodes-Vivour rose through the ranks to become the eminent jurist he is today. As soon as he was called to Bar, he began to practice in his calling and by 1976, he became a Pupil State Counsel, shortly after, in 1978, he became a State Counsel and by 1982, he had become a Senior State Counsel. He was promoted to the position of a Principal State Counsel in 1984 and in 1989, he became Director of Public Prosecutions (D. P. P.) Lagos State, this position he held till 1994.

On the 18th of February 1994, he was appointed to the Bench as a High Court Judge. After many years of experience on the Bench at the High Court, he was elevated to the Bench of the Court of Appeal on the 25th of April 2005.

In 2008 on secondment by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he was posted to Sierra Leone Judiciary as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone. At his return to Nigeria, after this posting, he was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the 16th of September 2010.

Honourable Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour is a man of sterling qualities and unparalleled achievements. He has been successfully involved in various National Assignments, some of which include;

Member Election Petition Tribunal, Rivers and Imo States, 1990.

Member Election Petition Tribunal, Kwara and Anambra States, 2003 and 2004.

Member Election Appeal Tribunal, Edo State, 2005 – 2006.

Member Election Appeal Tribunal in Oyo, Ogun and Osun States in 2009.

He has attended various international professional conferences. In 1979, under the auspices of Commonwealth of Nations, Honourable Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour took part in an international conference for a course in Legislative Drafting in School of Law, Nairobi, Kenya. Also in 1983, he attended a conference in Chicago, United States of America for an Advanced Course in Legal Drafting, similarly in 1992, he attended a Seminar on Drug Related Offences in Christ-church, University of Oxford, England. Honourable Justices Bode Rhodes-Vivour has equally attended conferences and delivered Papers within the Country. The conferences he has attended include;

Court Administration and Case Flow Management by the National Centre for State Courts.

Delegate and Rapporteur at All Nigeria Judges Conference, Abuja 2001.

Stakeholders’ Summit to Review High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules in Lagos State, 2002.

EMCAP Workshop on “Strengthening the Relationship Between the Bar and the Bench”, 2002.

Reform of Criminal Justice System, the Hague Netherlands, (24th – 27th August) 2003.

Chairman – Review of Criminal Procedure Law, Lagos State, 2004.

The Papers he has delivered include:

“Institution of Criminal Proceedings”, delivered at the training programme for newly appointed Judges, High Court of Lagos State, organized by the Judicial Commission of Lagos State, 7th June 2001.

“Fair Hearing, Law and Practice”, delivered at the Zonal Workshop for Customary Court Judges in Southern Zone, organized by the National Judicial Institute, 18th June, 2001.

He is a recipient of many excellent awards, prominent among these awards are:

An honourable award by Lagos State Government for Outstanding Contribution to the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, 2003.

Lagos State Judiciary Merit Awards in recognition of Invaluable Service to the High Court of Lagos State, December 2003.

And like they say “all work and no play make Jack a dull boy”, Honourable Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour is a social person, who sometimes relaxes and socializes with friends. He is a member of both Ikoyi and Islands Clubs of Lagos, and his hobbies are reading, watching sports, movies and documentaries.

Honourable Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour is happily married to Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, and they are blessed with three (3) children.