Justice Olukayode Ariwoola officially retired as the Chief Justice of Nigeria on Thursday upon reaching the age of 70.
In his valedictory address at the Supreme Court complex in Abuja, Ariwoola announced that he had recently approved the new Supreme Court Rules 2024, to address modern challenges and align with current times.
He explained that upon taking office as CJN two years ago, he was concerned about the outdated rules governing procedures in the apex court, which had remained unchanged for 39 years, predating the internet and electronic transactions.
Although practice directions had been periodically issued over the years to meet justice demands, the core rules had been in place since 1985.
He remarked, “When the Supreme Court Rules 1985 were established, now-commonplace aspects like information technology, electronic transactions, and global telecommunications were either nonexistent or just beginning. How, then, could such outdated rules be sufficient for today’s challenges?”
To address this, he formed a Rules Committee to comprehensively review the 39-year-old rules and existing practice directions.
Ariwoola expressed satisfaction that earlier this month, under the provisions of Section 236 of the 1999 Constitution, he signed off on the New Supreme Court Rules 2024.
He emphasized that the procedural rules of any court are critical to its functioning and must be dynamic and contemporary to meet the evolving needs of the legal profession.
He extended his gratitude to his fellow justices, including the incoming CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Justice Inyang Okoro, and Justice Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, for their dedication to the new rules.
He also acknowledged the contributions of Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN) and the Nigerian Bar Association President, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau (SAN).
Addressing the Supreme Court’s workload, Ariwoola noted that 1,124 cases were filed during the 2023/2024 legal year, which ran from September 2023 to July 2024. These included 435 civil cases, 269 civil motions, 219 criminal cases, and 102 criminal motions.
Additionally, despite not being an election year, 89 political appeals and 10 originating summons were filed at the court.
During this period, the court delivered 248 judgments and rulings: 92 in civil and originating summons cases, 81 in criminal appeals, and 74 in political appeals.
Ariwoola further highlighted that the recognition of the need to reduce the Supreme Court’s excessive workload led to a collaborative effort among the National Judicial Institute, the Ministry of Justice, and the Nigerian Bar Association, resulting in the Justice Sector Reform Summit in April. He expressed hope that the decisions made at the summit would significantly benefit the justice sector.
