The panel responsible for interviewing the nominated justices will begin its proceedings at the NJC boardroom and is expected to last for about a week. After the interviews, a final selection of 11 justices will be made from the 22 nominees.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has expressed assurance that the Supreme Court will soon have the constitutionally prescribed full complement of 21 Justices.

Speaking at a special session marking the start of the 2023/2024 legal year and the swearing-in of newly conferred Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), the CJN stated that the litigant public can expect relief in a short time.

Several individuals, including Mrs. Olayemi Badewole, wife of Major General Badewole (rtd), Mrs. Funmi Falana, Olukayode Ajulo, Mr. Adeola Adedipe, and others, were conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the ceremony in Abuja.

 The CJN emphasized the importance of respecting the rule of law and ensuring the holistic independence of the judiciary, underscoring that the Judiciary commands public trust and confidence when judges deliver justice without fear or favor.

“So, I admonish all of us to always be impartial in all our judgments. I am saying all these now because I will never have this great privilege and opportunity to address the galaxies of legal luminaries, judicial icons and distinguished personalities in the justice sector of our dear nation in another legal year of the Supreme Court as Chief Justice of Nigeria in my entire lifetime again,” he said

Observing that efforts were made by his predecessor to increase the number but was unsuccessful, he stated: “As soon as I assumed office on June 27, 2022, I immediately got down to work on this urgent and immediate need in particular.

“Though we have not gotten them on board yet, I can convincingly assure the litigant public that within a very short while, the Supreme Court of Nigeria will, for the very first time in its history, get the constitutionally-prescribed full complement of 21 justices.

“However, that joyful moment soon paled into lamentation and intense complaints of some sorts from various quarters, as the trend experienced a sudden reversal, owing to the un-fanciful gale of retirement that soon hit the Court, which has, for the very first time in a very long while, brought the number of our honourable justices to an all-time low of just 10 Justices.

“Efforts were made by my predecessor to increase the number but that was unsuccessful before he left office. However, the cherry on the 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.

“Though we have not gotten them on board yet, I can convincingly assure the litigant public that within a very short while, the Supreme Court of Nigeria will, for the very first time in its history, get the Constitutionally-prescribed full complement of 21 justices.

“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.”

While admonishing Nigerians on the imperative of being less litigious and be more disposed to alternative dispute resolutions to free the courts from some unnecessary cases which are over-stretching both human and material resources, the CJN called for the amendment of the law to end most appeals at the Court of Appeal, which he said is competent, dexterous and well-equipped with the right materials and manpowered to adjudicate effectively and resourcefully.

He continued: “In every dispute, only one party must win; and winning could come after intense legal fireworks that is transparent and based solely on subsisting laws of the land.

“We cannot import foreign laws to try our cases here, as some litigants would erroneously and desperately want us to do in the quest to get victory.

“If we really want to make progress as a nation and collectively build a virile legal framework that will serve our interest to the best of its ability, we must begin to have a change of attitude. We are not only here to celebrate the new legal year but to equally speak truth to ourselves and also purge ourselves of most of our wrongdoings and misadventures”.