Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, urged stakeholders to join hands in ensuring that the Supreme Court continues to be a beacon of justice, guided by wisdom, impartiality, and unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law.

The governor, who was represented by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said this during the public presentation of a book titled, “The Supreme Court of Nigeria: History, Establishment, Jurist and Speeches,” written by Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro and co-authored by Abdulrasheed Ibrahim.

Sanwo-Olu, who congratulated the attorney-general for spare-heading the pivotal milestone of legal development and for successfully completing the remarkable compendium that meticulously dwelt into the annals of the Supreme Court, said that the book reflects upon the journey of the Supreme Court, noting that it is not merely revisiting history but also embracing the present and contemplating the future.

Dr. Kemi Pinheiro in his lecture titled, “The Supreme Court: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” reiterated the need to consider and examine the concept of true federalism.

Pinheiro said that to solve the issue of heavy caseload of the Supreme Court, the jurisdiction of the court must be limited to only appeals arising from matters within the jurisdiction of federal courts. He advocated that each state should have its Supreme Court like in the United States.

Also, Chairman of the occasion, Wole Olanipekun, urged young lawyers to go to the Supreme Court because it is not meant for senior advocates alone.
In his welcome remarks, Pedro said that the book provided an insight into the establishment and composition of the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba, has advised judges not to die on the job, but retire if they can no longer do well on the Bench. Alogba said that judges should retire from the Bench if they were no longer in good health.

According to him, regardless of the retirement age, judges should be able to eat the fruits of their labour.

The chief judge said that the issue of retirement age should be an individual thing, saying that good health is by God’s grace and judges should retire when they no longer have it.