By Atlantic Reports

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has urged senior judges to mentor younger judicial officers in ways that strengthen their confidence and preserve independent judgement.

Speaking at the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Annual Conference in Kingston, Jamaica, Kekere-Ekun said senior judges held institutional knowledge that could not be acquired from books and had a responsibility to pass it on.

According to a statement by her spokesman, Mr Tobi Soniyi, the CJN addressed the issue during a panel session on “Judicial bullying and harassment”.

She said mentoring, supervision and correction were legitimate responsibilities of senior judicial officers, but should create an environment in which junior colleagues could learn without fear.

“Mentorship should give a junior judge greater confidence, not less, as a judge should be able to ask a question without embarrassment and acknowledge uncertainty without fearing that the admission would later be used against him or her,” she said.

Independent Views Must Be Respected

Kekere-Ekun said newly appointed judges should be able to disagree with senior colleagues without fear of personal consequences.

She also stressed that junior judicial officers should be free to raise concerns about administrative practices without being labelled difficult.

“The Judiciary is an institution founded upon reasoned disagreement. Judging at the appellate level, in particular, depends upon the ability of judges to consider different perspectives and, where necessary, to disagree,” she said.

“If seniority becomes a substitute for persuasion, the quality of judicial reasoning suffers.”

Her remarks placed the quality of adjudication at the centre of the discussion, highlighting the importance of allowing judges to test arguments and express differing interpretations.

Independence Requires Accountability

The CJN also emphasised respect for seniority alongside the exercise of independent judgement.

She said judges remained accountable for their conduct, productivity and adherence to professional standards, stressing that judicial independence did not mean freedom from accountability.

Her call was for senior judicial officers to use their experience to guide younger colleagues while maintaining the openness necessary for sound judicial reasoning.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.