The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has issued a stern warning to judicial officers and legal practitioners ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging them to maintain strict impartiality and integrity.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at the 2026/2027 Legal Year ceremony of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), the CJN emphasized that judges who may serve on Election Petition Tribunals must exercise high restraint and detachment.
She stressed that judges’ conduct, public engagements, and associations will face intense scrutiny, warning that nothing should ever create a reasonable perception of political alignment or bias.
Turning her attention to the legal profession, Justice Kekere-Ekun cautioned lawyers against filing parallel proceedings in multiple court divisions to hunt for favorable outcomes.
She noted that court shopping and conflicting orders severely undermine public confidence and bring avoidable embarrassment to the judiciary, stressing that the proper forum is determined strictly by law rather than strategic advantage.
The CJN further condemned personal attacks on judges disguised as public criticism, advising that any genuine concerns regarding judicial conduct must be directed through official institutional channels rather than public pressure tactics.
In addition to political neutrality, the CJN delivered a strong message regarding technology, warning both judges and lawyers against the uncritical reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
She cautioned that AI tools can hallucinate and generate false authorities complete with fake citations and quotations, warning that lawyers who file unverified cases risk misleading the court and breaching professional standards.
Stating that judicial decisions cannot safely rely on unverified software outputs, she reaffirmed that AI cannot replace judicial responsibility, while also raising concerns over inputting confidential case files into insecure systems.
Also speaking at the event, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), commended the NICN for its leadership in digitalizing justice delivery through its electronic filing and service systems.
Represented by the Director of Civil Appeal, Tijani Gazali, the AGF highlighted that prolonged delay remains a critical issue in employment and labor disputes, leaving both workers and employers in lingering uncertainty.
He urged that technological progress must be paired with disciplined case management, adequate staffing, and strong bench-and-bar cooperation to make justice swift and effective.
Highlighting the court’s achievements, NICN President, Justice Benedict Kanyip, revealed in his welcome address that the court had successfully disposed of 2,236 cases across its divisions within the last 12 months.
He explained that this milestone significantly chipped away at the court’s historical case backlog, reiterating the NICN’s commitment to improving access to justice through continuous technological innovation, professional standards, and efficient judicial administration.
