The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, affirmed on Monday that the Supreme Court would soon achieve its full capacity of 21 justices. This announcement came during a session in Abuja, marking the commencement of the Supreme Court’s 2023/2024 legal year and the swearing-in of 58 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).
In mid-November, a list of 22 Justices of the Court of Appeal, nominated by the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) for elevation to the Supreme Court, was forwarded to the National Judicial Council (NJC).
Presently, the apex court operates with 10 justices due to a series of retirements. Justice Ariwoola assured the litigant public on Monday that efforts were underway to address this shortfall. He stated, “The cherry news is that as soon as I assumed office on the 27th day of June, 2022, I immediately got down to work on this urgent and immediate need in particular.”
While acknowledging that the new justices had not yet been appointed, Justice Ariwoola expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would soon, for the first time in its history, achieve the constitutionally-prescribed full complement of 21 justices.
He added, “That is one of the legacies I have been working assiduously to leave behind as it now seems that the Court has been somewhat ‘jinxed’ from meeting its Constitutional requirement since that piece of legislation was enacted several years ago.”
