ABUJA — The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has sworn in 68 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), calling on judicial officers to embrace reforms and technology to accelerate the administration of justice.
Kekere-Ekun made the call while addressing the judiciary at the Supreme Court Complex in Abuja during the ceremony marking the 2026/2027 legal year.
She stressed the need for reforms to address the growing volume of cases before the courts, urging judges to deploy technology to improve efficiency and speed up the determination of cases.
Reviewing the judiciary’s performance in the previous legal year, the CJN disclosed that the Supreme Court received more than 2,000 cases, with civil matters accounting for the majority.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, advised judicial officers to be mindful of their words, actions, and the people they associate with during this political season.
She said: “Judicial officers must remain conscious that every word they speak and every action they take during an electoral period will be subjected to scrutiny.
“They must, therefore, exercise restraint, avoid political association or conduct capable of creating an appearance of partiality and remain firmly within the boundaries imposed by their oath and the Constitution.”
The CJN told judges not to give undue priority to political cases above other equally important cases, counselling that it was imperative that the Judiciary remains accessible to all litigants at all times.
The CJN also cautioned lawyers against using the media to discredit court judgments, underscoring the need for legal practitioners to respect the judicial process.
The ceremony marked the formal commencement of the 2026/2027 legal year and the elevation of 68 legal practitioners to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
