A former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mohammed Uwais, on Friday, June 6, 2025, died in Abuja at the age of 88.
The foremost legal practitioner, born on June 12, 1936, in Zaria, Kaduna State, was the CJN from 1995 to 2006.
Having attained the statutory retirement age of 70 for Supreme Court judges with a little over 33 years in judicial office, the late jurist retired on June 12, 2006.
After his retirement, he chaired the Electoral Reform Committee in 2007, which produced the popular Uwais Report, which 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).
The late CJN was renowned for his commitment to judicial reforms and the independence of the judiciary. He was conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) awards in 1980 and 2000, respectively
After graduating from the University of London, Justice Uwais was called to the Bar at Middle Temple, London, in 1963.
The next year, he enrolled at the Nigerian Bar and later that same year was posted to the Ministry of Justice of the Northern Nigeria as a Pupil State Counsel, Senior State Counsel (1966-1970) from where he rose through the rank to eventually become the Solicitor –General and Permanent Secretary of the North-Central in 1971.
He was elevated to the Bench as Acting Judge of the High Courts of North Central, Benue –Plateau and North Eastern States of Nigeria and later Chief Judge, of Kaduna State (1973-1976).
On January 1, 1977, he was appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal, and in August 1979 at age 43, he was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, earning him the nickname baby of the court.
In 1995, he was appointed CJN and Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), taking over from Justice Muhammed Bello.