Kudirat Kekere-Ekun has been confirmed as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), becoming the 23rd individual to hold the position.
Her confirmation was on Wednesday following a two-hour questioning session by the Senate, where she addressed various reforms she intends to implement within the judicial system, and outlined several key initiatives aimed at improving efficiency, particularly in handling criminal cases.
Kekere-Ekun, who has been serving in an acting capacity since August, emphasized her commitment to modernizing the judiciary, pledged to digitize courts and utilize virtual hearings and alternative dispute resolution to enhance efficiency and decongest Nigeria’s judiciary.
Her words: “I will ensure that the courts are digitized. It will make it easier in tracking cases, and judges could be called to order if they are not treating their cases expeditiously.
“Especially in criminal matters where you have delays, we will use virtual hearings. It is something I will encourage so that criminal matters will be disposed of expeditiously,” she added.
In her vision for the judicial system, Kekere-Ekun also highlighted the importance of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods, saying, “I will employ the use of ADR to decongest matters in the courts. In the courts, there is always a victor and vanquished, but in ADR, all the parties will go home satisfied.
“We are exploring ways to ensure that prison decongestion is frequently carried out. Virtual hearings will help fast-track cases; the failure to produce defendants is usually the delay in criminal cases”, she further explained.
Following her presentation, Senate Majority Leader Opeyemi Bamidele confirmed that there were no petitions against Kekere-Ekun’s nomination.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, conducted a voice vote, leading to her formal confirmation as Chief Justice.
