Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun (CJN).
The Senate has confirmed Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the 23rd substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
Kekere-Ekun, was confirmed by the Senate after fielding questions from senators for more than two hours on Wednesday.
The Senators confirmed Kekere-Ekun after her nomination was put to a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The new CJN became Acting CJN in August following the mandatory retirement of her predecessor Justice Kayode Ariwoola.
Kekere-Ekun answered senators’ questions on the reforms she hopes to introduce as the head of the judicial arm of government.
She promised to ensure that the judiciary remains insulated from external influence.
According to the new CJN, she is committed to advocating for better welfare and infrastructure for the judiciary.
She stressed highlighted the need to strengthen national institutions and ensuring better behavior from the populace.
The CJN stressed that such improvements would help reduce the tendency to contest, especially election results in court.
“In criminal matters where you have delays, we will use virtual hearing.
“It is something I will encourage so that criminal matters will be disposed expeditiously.
“I will employ the use of ADR to decongest matters in the courts.
“In the courts, there is always a victor and vanquished, but in ADR all the parties will go home satisfied.
“We are exploring ways to ensure that prison decongestion is frequently carried out.
“Virtual hearings will help fast track cases, the failure to produce defendants is usually the delay in criminal cases,” she said.
Kekere-Ekun is the second female to hold the position of Chief Justice of Nigeria, after Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar who held sway from July 2012 to November 2014).
Born on May 7, 1958, in London, United Kingdom, Justice Kekere-Ekun began her legal journey at the University of Lagos, where she obtained her law degree in 1980.
After completing her studies at the Nigerian Law School, she was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 10, 1981.
