The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has charged a newly sworn-in Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to uphold the constitution with courage, independence of mind, and unwavering fidelity to the rule of law, warning that decisions of the apex court carry consequences far beyond the parties before it.
The CJN on Wednesday swore in Hon. Justice Joseph Olubunmi Kayode Oyewole, as justice of the supreme court of Nigeria .
Administering the oath of allegiance and the Judicial oath, the CJN said the elevation was not merely an assumption of office but the acceptance of a solemn, enduring trust at the highest level of Nigeria’s judicial hierarchy.
The CJN reminded the Justice that the Supreme Court is the final interpreter of the Constitution and the ultimate guardian of legal rights, whose pronouncements shape constitutional governance and speak to generations yet unborn.
Justice Kekere-Ekun stressed that with the new appointment, the Supreme Court has attained its full constitutional complement, an institutional milestone that strengthens its capacity to sit in robust panels, manage its docket efficiently, and deliver justice with renewed vigour.
Numerical completeness, she noted, is structurally significant to the effective discharge of the Court’s constitutional mandate and the stability of national jurisprudence.
Charging the Justice on the demands of the office, the CJN said judging at the apex level transcends dispute resolution and requires stewardship of precedent, principled development of the law, and steadfast allegiance to constitutional supremacy.
A Justice of the court, she added, must possess the courage to affirm settled doctrine where stability demands it and the wisdom to refine the law where justice so requires.
She underscored collegiality and independence as twin pillars of the Court’s strength, urging respectful deliberation and disciplined engagement among Justices, while insisting that independence of mind must never be compromised.
According to her, principled dissent, expressed with courtesy and intellectual honesty, is often the seed of future doctrinal growth, not a fracture of unity.
The CJN also warned that the oaths taken constitute a binding covenant in conscience and in law, demanding moral courage amid intense scrutiny and public pressure.
“Your compass must remain fixed upon the Constitution and the law,” she said, urging the Justice to decide without fear, favour, affection, or ill-will.
Acknowledging the role of oversight institutions, Justice Kekere-Ekun commended the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission for merit-driven processes that safeguard judicial quality and independence.
