Justice Muhammad Lawal Uwais 1936 – 2025

Nigeria’s Sallah celebration mood on June 6, 2025 was dampened following the passage of one of Nigeria’s legal luminaries, Justice Muhammad Lawal Uwais. He was 89.  

The life of Justice Uwais was a testimony of resilience, hard work and a sheer commitment to a cause and profession. Born on June 12, 1936, the late Uwais lost his father while he was only six years old and was brought up by his mother, sister and half-brother.

He started his education at the Native Authority Elementary School, Kaduna, in 1945 and after his primary education, he gained admission into Zaria Middle School where he had a two years stint before he got admitted into Barewa College, Zaria.

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Justice Uwais’ journey into the legal profession began while at Barewa College, where he developed interest in studying law. On completing Form 6, in 1957, he applied for a Northern Nigeria Government scholarship to study law in the United Kingdom. His first attempt failed because the telegram inviting him to an interview arrived late. His second attempt also failed because he was overlooked. His ambition to study law succeeded through a special arrangement by the Northern Region government to beef up the manpower in the region’s judiciary.

After his training, the late Justice Uwais served as a counsel in the Ministry of Justice, rising to become the Solicitor General in the defunct North Central State. His journey to the bench began in 1972, when he was just 36, and four years later, in 1976, he was appointed the Acting Chief Justice of the state. He was later appointed as a judge of the Court of Appeal in 1977 and a justice of the Supreme Court in 1979. In 1995, the late Uwais became the Chief Justice of Nigeria, a position he held until he retired in 2006. He was the second longest serving CJN in the country.

The period of his tenure, which transcended the military and civilian administrations, saw a remarkable improvement in the administration of justice in the country with landmark judgments that have set precedence in the nation’s legal field.

Even in retirement, Justice Uwais continued to serve the nation with distinction. As Chairman of the Electoral Reform Committee established in 2007, he made far-reaching recommendations, which suggested the unbundling of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the creation of the Electoral Offences Commission, among others. These proposals remain foundational reference points in ongoing national conversations on electoral reform.

Late Justice Uwais’ public life has indeed impacted on a large spectrum of Nigerians given the pouring eulogies from across Nigeria.

In his condolence message, President Bola Tinubu described him as “a phenomenal jurist and statesman who served Nigeria with honour, courage and exceptional integrity.

“Many remarkable highpoints hallmarked Justice Uwais’ illustrious career on the bench. He superintended the judiciary at a challenging time in our history with tact, patience, and a sense of duty. This stabilising role helped usher in the current democratic dispensation, which he had the distinct honour of ushering in as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who swore in the elected president on May 29, 1999.

“In active service and retirement, the late Justice Uwais maintained a dignified persona, earning him respect beyond his immediate constituency,’’ Tinubu said.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in a condolence message said Justice Uwais was more than a jurist.

“He was a pillar of the Nigerian Judiciary and a beacon of integrity, scholarship, and reform. His tenure as Chief Justice of Nigeria, from 1995 to 2006, remains one of the most defining periods in the history of the nation’s judiciary. As the second-longest-serving Chief Justice, he was a staunch advocate of judicial independence, ethical discipline on the Bench, and the preservation of democratic principles. A man of exceptional intellectual depth, Justice Uwais delivered landmark judgments that significantly advanced constitutional interpretation and civil liberties in Nigeria. His judicial philosophy, anchored in clarity, depth, and an unyielding commitment to justice, earned him widespread respect within and beyond the legal profession,” the NBA said.

But, perhaps no one has better described the contributions of late Justice Uwais to the judiciary than the former vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, who said in a tribute: “In the annals of Nigerian constitutional history, few jurists have left a legacy as enduring and transformative as that of Hon. Justice Muhammed Lawal Uwais.

“While his tenure on the Supreme Court bench was the longest in the court’s history, it was his years as Chief Justice—from the twilight of military rule to the dawn of the Fourth Republic—that would define his judicial legacy.

“Presiding over the Supreme Court during a fragile transition from authoritarianism to democracy, Uwais steered the court through some of the most consequential constitutional battles in Nigeria’s federal evolution.

“Between 1999 and 2007, his court was called upon to adjudicate in at least a dozen cases where state governments challenged the federal government’s overreach, testing the very boundaries of Nigeria’s federal structure.

“The disputes involved radical, novel, and far-reaching constitutional questions that demanded intellectual clarity, institutional courage, and unwavering fidelity to the constitution.

“Justice Uwais rose to that moment with principled resolve. Without drama or personal posturing, he insisted that the constitution—not political convenience—must always prevail. His judgments reflected a deep understanding of federalism not as a theoretical ideal, but as a living structure requiring balance, accountability, and mutual respect between the tiers of government.

“The constitution, not political convenience, must always prevail. His judgments reflected a deep understanding of federalism not as a theoretical ideal, but as a living structure requiring balance, accountability, and mutual respect between the tiers of government.’’

We at Daily Trust extend our condolence to the family of the late Justice Muhammad Lawal Uwais. May Aljannah Firdausi be his final abode.