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 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:Chief Justice | Term |
Sir Edwin Speed | 1914–1918 |
Sir Ralph Combe | 1918–1929 |
Donald Kingdon | 1929–1946 |
Sir John Verity | 1946–1954 |
Sir Stafford Sutton | 1955–1958 |
Sir Adetokunbo Ademola | 1958–1972 |
Taslim Olawale Elias | 1972–1975 |
Darnley Arthur Alexander | 1975–1979 |
Atanda Fatai Williams | 1979–1983 |
George Sodeinde Sowemimo | 1983–1985 |
Ayo Gabriel Irikefe | 1985–1987 |
Mohammed Bello | 1987–1995 |
Muhammad Lawal Uwais | 1995–2006 |
Salihu Moddibo Alfa Belgore | 2006–2007 |
Idris Legbo Kutigi | 2007–2009 |
Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu | 2009–2011 |
Dahiru Musdapher | 2011–2012 |
Aloma Mariam Mukhtar | 2012–2014 |
Mahmud Mohammed | 2014–2016 |
Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen | 2017–2019 |
Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad | 2019–present |
List of previous Chief Justices
;Lagos- Sir William Nicholl
- Sir Thomas Crossley Rayner
- Sir John Salman Smith
- James Marshall
- George French
- John Carr
- Benjamin Way
- Sir Edwin Speed
- Sir M R Mendez
- Henry Cowper Gollan
- Alastair Davidson
- Willoughby Osborne
- Henry Green Kelly