Nigeria: Law & Human Rights: Disobedience of Court Order Dangerous to Democracy

25 June 2004
interview

Our Law Personality this week is the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Afolabi Fatai Adeyinka. He is the 11th Chief Judge of the state and the second Chief Judge from the private legal practice to be so appointed after the renowned first Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice J.I.C. Taylor. Born on July 2 1939, Justice Adeyinka got his LL.B Degree in Law from Holborn College of Law London and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1969.

He immediately went into private legal practice before he was elevated to the Lagos High Court Bench and was sworn-in on February 11 1986 . Following the retirement of his predecessor Justice I.A. Sotuminu, Justice Adeyinka was sworn-in as the Chief Judge on March 9 this year. He will bow out of the bench on the second of next month. In this interview he spoke on the decadence in the polity, where Government Institutions and some powerful individuals disobey Court orders, saying it may lead to anarchy if it is not checked. He believes that the best thing to happen to the Lagos State Judiciary is the recently launched new Civil Procedure Rules 2004, as it would eradicate all the delay in the hearing of cases and generally enhance the administration of justice in the state. Excerpts:

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