Ogun CJ Warns Magistrates Against Chasing Promotion, Urges Self-Development and Digital Reforms

Ogun State Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, has urged Nigerian Magistrates to focus on professional development and quality justice delivery rather than treating their current positions as stepping stones to the High Court Bench.

She gave the advice at the National Convention of the Magistrates’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), held at the Ceremonial Court of the Judiciary Complex, Kobape Road, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The convention, themed “Strengthening the Magistracy for Effective Justice Delivery through Capacity Building and Innovation,” runs from October 19 to 22, 2026.

Dipeolu, speaking from her experience as both a Chief Judge and a former Magistrate, acknowledged the career ambitions of judicial officers but warned that uncertainty over promotion should not weaken their commitment to duty. She urged them to study superior court judgments, follow legislative changes, improve legal research and judgment-writing, and take part in continuing judicial education.

She also called for wider adoption of technology in the Magistracy, pointing to emerging legal challenges involving cybercrime, online fraud, electronic records and artificial intelligence. She encouraged the use of e-filing, digital case management and virtual hearings where permitted, stressing that innovation must not undermine fair hearing or judicial independence. She added that Ogun State had sustained its annual Magistrates’ Conference since 1976, holding 45 editions.

In his keynote address, “The Future of the Nigerian Magistracy in an Evolving Justice Sector,” legal expert Sola Ojutalayo described Magistrates as key figures in the justice system because they are often the first judicial officers to review police and prosecution actions. He identified poor welfare, inadequate funding, unclear promotion pathways, heavy caseloads, court congestion, weak records management and technological gaps among the challenges facing the Magistracy.

Justice Adeola Adelaja of the Ogun State High Court said meaningful reform would require cooperation among the judiciary, executive and other justice-sector institutions. She stressed that judicial competence, integrity, welfare and independence must remain central to efforts to modernise the courts, adding that justice should be measured by whether citizens receive fair and timely decisions under the law.

The Chief Registrar of the Ogun State High Court, Luqman Oke, highlighted the scale of Nigeria’s pretrial detention problem, citing figures of 80,812 inmates in correctional facilities, including 51,955 — about 64 per cent — awaiting trial. He urged Magistrates to improve case management, use appropriate digital tools, maintain accurate records and build their professional reputations on integrity rather than lobbying for promotion. He also proposed a Magistracy Reform and Data Unit, an innovation network and transparent career progression frameworks.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of MAN’s National Caretaker Committee, Onome Nwankwo, described the Abeokuta convention as an opportunity to renew the association’s leadership and strengthen its institutions. She said the caretaker committee was constituted on January 27, 2026, following the dissolution of the former executive, and later held a National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja on April 25 to reactivate leadership processes. The convention is the association’s first national gathering since 2016 and is expected to elect a new National Executive Committee.