Personalia

Abstract

CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA

The Hon. Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, the first alumnus of the Nigerian Law School to be appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria was born in 1936, in Zaria, Kaduna State. He attended Tudun Wada Elementary School, Zaria, 1946–1949; Zaria Middle School, 1950–1951; and the Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 1960–1961.

His Law sojourn began in 1960 at the Institute of Administration, Zaria and the Inns of Court School of Law, London. He was called to the Bar, Middle Temple, London in 1963. He also attended the Nigerian Law School in 1963 after which he was enrolled as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

In 1958, he worked as an accounts clerk at the Nigerian Tobacco Company. He was Assistant Publicity Officer, Ministry of Information, Northern Nigeria, 1959–1960; Pupil State Counsel, 1964–1966; State Counsel, 1966–1969; Senior State Counsel, 1969–1970; and Principal State Counsel, 1970–1971.

Uwais was appointed Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice defunct North Central State, 1971–1973; Judge of High Courts, North Central and North Eastern States, 1974–1977; and acting Chief Judge, Kaduna State, 1976.

He was appointed Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal (now the Court of Appeal), 1977–1979; Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1979; before being made the Chief Justice of Nigeria on December 12, 1995. He was a past Chairman of the Body of Benchers.

Justice Uwais who edited Law Reports of the Northern States of Nigeria, from 1974–1978, loves swimming, playing billiards and walking.