JUSTICE FUNMI ATILADE CONFIRMED AS NEW LAGOS CHIEF JUDGE

The Lagos State House of Assembly has confirmed Justice Olufunmilayo Olajumoke Atilade, for the position of Chief Judge of the state.

The assembly, presided over by the Speaker, Honourable Adeyemi Ikuforiji, took the decision at its plenary after screening Atilade, whose nomination was earlier forwarded by Governor Babatunde Fashola.

During the exercise, Atilade told the lawmakers that she had spent half of her life working for the state judiciary and became a magistrate at the age of 30 in 1982 and thereafter, a judge in 1996.

While promising to complete the computerisation process of the judiciary started by her predecessor, Atilade said she would work to ensure appointment of more judges on the Bench.

“We need about 100 judges to cope with the volume of work we have, as right now, we have about 50 judges and the work load is

much for them, which means we need about 50 more judges,” she said.

Atilade also promised to continue with the effort of her predecessor in the decongestion of prisons, especially those awaiting trial, which she attributed to delay in DPP report.

Speaking at the session, Ikuforiji called on the acting Chief Judge to work on Section 270 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, saying a lot of things were being done wrongly.

According to him, by the constitutional provisions, it was the House of Assembly that should determine the number of judges for the state and not the governor.

Ikuforiji also said it was her duty to write to the assembly to request for more judges and not to the executive arm of government.

Atilade, who is a sister to the immediate past Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, will be 62 in September.
The two sisters are the first and second children respectively of the four children of late Hon. Justice James Williams, who himself was a judge in Lagos State and late Mrs. Henrietta Williams.