A former Nigerian solicitor, Margaret Obi, has been appointed as a Judge of the High Court of England and Wales, marking a major milestone in her distinguished legal career.
Her appointment, which officially took effect on October 3, 2025, was confirmed by several reputable British publications, including Global Legal Post. Mrs. Justice Obi is now one of only eight current High Court judges in England and Wales who previously practised as solicitors a rare feat in the British judiciary.
She will serve in the King’s Bench Division, where she is expected to draw from her 27 years of legal practice and seven years of judicial experience to deliver justice with excellence and integrity.
Congratulating her, Oba Nsugbe (KC), Head of Pump Court Chambers in the United Kingdom, praised Obi’s humility and commitment to her heritage. “For as long as I have known her, Mrs Justice Obi has always been naturally low-key and entirely grounded; never once forgetting her Nigerian roots,” Nsugbe said.
Before her elevation, Justice Obi served in several senior judicial capacities, including as a Deputy High Court Judge, Deputy Upper Tribunal Judge, and Chair of the Competition Appeal Tribunal. She also made history in 2023 when she was appointed Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of the British Indian Ocean Territory, further cementing her reputation as a respected and versatile jurist.
Her appointment has been widely celebrated within legal circles in both the United Kingdom and Nigeria, with many describing it as another testament to the excellence and global impact of Nigerian professionals abroad.
Justice Obi’s rise to one of the most prestigious judicial positions in the UK underscores her decades-long dedication to the legal profession and her enduring connection to her Nigerian background.