Kekere-Ekun: Our Judges Are Morally Upright — But A Few Give Us Bad Name

Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), has admitted that a small number of judges are damaging the reputation of the Nigerian judiciary.

At a public discussion on “Ethics, Morality, and the Law” on Saturday, Justice Kekere-Ekun made this statement in honor of the Movement for Islamic Culture and Awareness’s (MICA) 30th anniversary and Justice Habeeb Adewale Abiru’s promotion to the Supreme Court.

Although she insisted that Nigeria has many intelligent and diligent judges, she cautioned that judges should keep in mind that “individuals we are accountable to ourselves and to God.”

According to her, the foundations of justice were influenced by the Abrahamic faith prevalent in the society, adding that both Islam and Christianity preach morality uprightness, and righteousness.

“The role of the legal practitioner within this framework, merits a particular attention,” she said. 

“The lawyer, often seen as both antagonist and protagonist in the pursuit of justice, must navigate a terrain where law, ethics, and morality intersect.

“This dual role requires balancing the scriptures and the law with ethical constitutions, often containing moral and legal questions that may seem at odds. As a minister in the temple of justice, the lawyer’s commitment to justice involves upholding legal standards, while advancing principles that follow society’s ethical expectations.

“The degree to which this alignment is achieved influences public trust in the judiciary and the law, affirming that our legal system should not only administer justice but also resonate with the community’s moral convictions.

“I will say we take notes of everything that has been said. As the Honourable Attorney General pointed out, and this happens in every sector of our society, it is unfortunate that by and large our judges are knowledgeable, upright, courageous, and hardworking but few ones are giving us a bad name.”

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