Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, who served as Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1995 to 2006, has died in Abuja at the age of 88 after a prolonged illness.
Born on June 12, 1936, in Zaria, Kaduna State, Uwais was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in London in 1963.
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He began his legal journey as a State Counsel in the Northern Region and rose to become a Justice of the Supreme Court in 1979. He was appointed Chief Justice in 1995 and served until his retirement in 2006.
Justice Uwais was widely respected for his dedication to judicial reform and strengthening the independence of the judiciary.
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After retiring, he led the Electoral Reform Committee in 2007, which produced the influential “Uwais Report.”
The report called for key changes to Nigeria’s electoral system, including the creation of an independent electoral offences commission and reforms to how the INEC chairman is appointed.
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His wife, Mrs. Maryam Uwais, a lawyer, served in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as Special Adviser and Coordinator of the Social Investment Programmes.