Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, has been confirmed dead.
He passed away on Friday, June 6, at the age of 88, according to family sources.
Justice Uwais, who served as the head of Nigeria’s judiciary from 1995 until his retirement in 2006, was widely regarded as a jurist of integrity and a staunch advocate for judicial independence and reform.
Born on June 12, 1936, in Zaria, Kaduna State, Uwais began his legal journey after being called to the Bar at Middle Temple, London, in 1963. He commenced his career as a State Counsel in the Northern Region of Nigeria and steadily rose through the judiciary, culminating in his appointment as a Justice of the Supreme Court in 1979.
He was elevated to the office of Chief Justice of Nigeria in 1995.
Following his retirement from the bench in 2006, Uwais continued to contribute to national development. In 2007, he chaired the Presidential Electoral Reform Committee established by the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration.
The committee’s landmark report, widely referred to as the “Uwais Report”—recommended sweeping reforms, including the creation of an independent electoral offences commission and changes to the process of appointing the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Uwais is survived by his wife, Mrs. Maryam Uwais, a lawyer and human rights advocate who served as Special Adviser and Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programmes under President Muhammadu Buhari.
