BREAKING: Former Chief Justice of Nigeria Lawal Uwais passes on
By Kunle Sanni
Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, who served as Nigeria’s Chief Justice from 1995 to 2006, has passed away at the age of 88, according to family sources. He died on Friday, June 6.
Born on June 12, 1936, in Zaria, Kaduna State, Justice Uwais was called to the Bar at Middle Temple, London, in 1963.
He began his legal career as a State Counsel in the Northern Region of Nigeria and rose through the ranks to become a Justice of the Supreme Court in 1979. In 1995, he was appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria, a position he held until his retirement in 2006.
Justice Uwais was renowned for his commitment to judicial reforms and the independence of the judiciary.
After his retirement, he chaired the Electoral Reform Committee in 2007, which produced the “Uwais Report.”
The report recommended significant changes to Nigeria’s electoral system, including the establishment of an independent electoral offences commission and reforms to the appointment process of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
His wife, Mrs. Maryam Uwais, a lawyer, served in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as Special Adviser and Coordinator of the Social Investment Programmes.
