Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun: A meritorious rise from Magistrate to Supreme Court

BLESSING TAIWO

The swearing in of Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun, CFR as Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Bola Tinubu Friday following recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) has turned eyes to her rich and robust profile.

Kudirat Kekere-Ekun until her elevation served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, a position she ascended in 2013, as the fifth and youngest female.

Her journey in the Nigerian jury had been built on hard work, integrity, justice and firm principles.

Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun was born on May 7, 1958, into the family of Alhaji Senator H.A.B. Fasinro, OFR, LL.D. She attended Queen’s College, Lagos, in 1970, after which she studied law at the University of Lagos, where she earned her LL.B in 1980 and was called to the Nigerian bar in 1981. In 1983, she obtained a Master’s degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

The revered member of Nigeria’s judiciary began her legal profession in a private practice before she was appointed as a Senior Magistrate Grade II by the Lagos State Judiciary in December 1989.

With her display of competence and dedication, Justice Kekere-Ekun became a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State on July 19, 1996. She was appointed to the Court of Appeal in September 2004, where she worked in five different divisions across Nigeria.

Remarkably, she was the pioneer Presiding Justice of the Makurdi Division and the Presiding Justice of the Akure Division.

For eleven years, she has been serving as a justice at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, with excellence. If confirmed by the Senate, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun will become the second female Chief Justice of Nigeria who will also head the National Judicial Council, the body that controls the appointment, promotion, and discipline of judges across Nigeria.

Her legal career has notable high-profile cases and judicial reforms. She chaired the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal in Lagos from 1996 to 1999 and was involved in drafting the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004.

These rules introduced significant innovations in case management, such as pre-trial conferences and the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, which have been widely adopted across Nigeria.

She also played a pivotal role in developing the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and served on committees that shaped the ethics and operations of Nigeria’s judiciary. Her work on the Lagos State Multi-Door Court House, the first court-connected ADR center in Africa, underscores her dedication to improving access to justice.

Her prowess and uprightness have earned her several merit awards from the Lagos State Judiciary and the Distinguished Trailblazers Awards from the Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum. She is also a Life Bencher, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and a member of several professional and social organizations.

Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun is married to Mr. Akin Kekere-Ekun, OFR and has three children.

The 66-year-old female Nigerian jurist has scaled high in the legal profession and is set for the peak. Her dedication, integrity and sound principles will motivate upcoming practitioners and set the pace for a formidable legal system in the country.

She succeeds Justice Olukayode Ariwoola who bowed out of the Supreme Court as the CJN on Thursday.

For a better society

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