He says that there are too many cases before the apex court which ought to have terminated at the appellate court.
He explained that there are too many cases before the apex court which ought to have terminated at the appellate court.
Justice Ariwoola, during a valedictory session in his honor at the Supreme Court in Abuja, highlighted that access to justice has significantly contributed to delays in hearing cases. He noted that litigants and lawyers often face prolonged waiting periods, sometimes lasting several years, before their cases are resolved.
Justice Ariwoola explained that the right to fair hearing can only be guaranteed when lawyers and litigants do not have to wait for so long to have their cases heard.
He also stressed the need for the bench to have more judicial officers to adjudicate on all matters timeously.
In June 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Justice Ariwoola as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) after Justice Tanko Muhammad resigned for health reasons. Ariwoola was later confirmed by the Senate and officially sworn in as CJN in October of the same year.
Ariwoola was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2011. He was a Justice of the Court of Appeal between 2005 and 2011 after having been elevated from the State High Court of Oyo State.
He studied law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife and bagged his bachelor of laws degree with honours in July 1980. In July 1981, Ariwoola was called to the Bar and enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Solicitor.
Ariwoola turned 70 today, August 22, 2024.
Meanwhile, the National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun to President Bola Tinubu for appointment as CJN.
