2027 Election Tribunals: CJN Warns Judges, Lawyers Against Unethical Conduct

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has warned judges who may be appointed to serve on election petition tribunals ahead of the 2027 general elections to maintain strict impartiality and avoid conduct that could create perceptions of political bias.

Kekere-Ekun gave the warning on Wednesday at the flag-off ceremony of the 2026/2027 legal year of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN).

The CJN said some judges of the court could be called upon to serve on election petition tribunals, where they would be expected to adjudicate politically sensitive disputes that would attract significant public attention.

She urged the judges to exercise restraint and remain detached from political interests, stressing that their conduct would be closely scrutinised.

“As we approach another electoral season, these responsibilities assume even greater importance,” she said.

According to her, judges must ensure that their associations, public engagements and other activities do not create a reasonable perception of political alignment or predisposition.

Advertisement

The CJN also cautioned lawyers against filing duplicate cases in different courts, warning that such practices could result in conflicting judgments, undermine public confidence and expose the judiciary to disrepute.

She stressed that the appropriate forum for a case should be determined by law rather than the perceived likelihood of success before a particular judge or court.

Kekere-Ekun further urged lawyers to exercise restraint in their public comments, saying criticism of judicial decisions should not degenerate into personal attacks on judges, deliberate misrepresentation of proceedings or attempts to influence the courts through public opinion.

She also warned legal practitioners against the careless use of Artificial Intelligence, particularly when citing authorities in court.

While acknowledging AI as a useful research tool, the CJN said lawyers remained responsible for verifying information generated by such systems.

She warned that AI could produce seemingly authoritative but non-existent cases, inaccurate decisions or quotations wrongly attributed to judgments.

Advertisement

“For counsel, the consequences can be serious,” she said.

Meanwhile, the President of the NICN, Justice Benedict Kanyip, disclosed that the court disposed of 2,236 cases across its judicial divisions in the past 12 months, significantly reducing its historical backlog.

He commended the judges for their commitment despite the workload but expressed concern over the low utilisation of the court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre.

According to Kanyip, only 31 cases were referred to the ADR Centre across the court’s judicial divisions during the period under review.

He said greater use of ADR was necessary to improve the efficiency of labour justice delivery and reduce reliance on litigation.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, pledged the continued support of the Federal Government to the court.

Advertisement

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, also called for a dynamic labour jurisprudence firmly rooted in the rule of law.

The ceremony, which was preceded by the commissioning of the NICN headquarters building, was attended by former Chief Justices of Nigeria, Justices Mahmud Mohammed and Walter Onnoghen; the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongbam-Mensen; and other senior lawyers and dignitaries.