Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), has assured that the Supreme Court will soon have the constitutionally mandated full complement of 21 Justices.

He claims that the Supreme Court has never had all of its Justices since it was founded in 1963.

The Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) had already recommended 22 Justices for an interview with the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Only 11 of the 22 will be given consideration for the top job.

Speaking at a special session to commemorate the start of the 2023–2024 legal year, the CJN and the newly appointed Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) will soon be sworn in, heaving a sigh of relief among the litigant public.

The CJN said, “Efforts were made by my predecessor to increase the number but that was unsuccessful before he left office. However, the cherry news is that as soon as I assumed office on the 27th day of June, 2022, I immediately got down to work on this urgent and immediate need in particular.

“Though we have not gotten them on board yet, I can convincingly assure the litigant public that within a very short while, the Supreme Court of Nigeria will, for the very first time in its history, get the Constitutionally-prescribed full complement of 21 Justices.

“That is one of the legacies I have been working assiduously to leave behind as it now seems that the Court has been somewhat ‘jinxed’ from meeting its Constitutional requirement since that piece of legislation was enacted several years ago.”