Number Of Supreme Court Judges Drops To 18 As Rhodes-Vivour Bows Out

Olabode Rhodes-Vivour has retired as a Justice of the supreme court having reached the age of 70

The number of justices of the apex court rose from 12 to 20 in November 2020 after President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of eight justices.

However, with the death of Sylvester Ngwuta on March 7, and Rhodes-Vivour’s retirement the number of justices in the apex court has further reduced to 18 as against the constitutionally required number of 21.

At the valedictory court session held in his honour on Monday, Ibrahim Muhammad (CJN) described the retired justice as one who is “physically energetic and never gets frightened by any form of challenges”.

“His amiable disposition and reticent outlook have literally made him a gentle tiger in the temple of justice,” the CJN said

Rhodes-Vivour, who ascribed his success to God, said he was never absent from duty over ill health in all his years as a judge.

“I have a testimony, not once was I ever absent from work as a judge due to illness. I did have health challenges, but they were resolved during vacation. All medical procedures were uneventful,” he said

“It is with humility that I have and will continue to give thanks praise and glory to the almighty God. The Lord has been good to me, and I will forever be thankful.”

The Cable


Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, CFR bio

On 22nd of March 1951, a bouncing baby boy was born to the family of Honourable Justice (Chief) Akinwumi R. W. Rhodes-Vivour in Lagos Island. According to customs and tradition, he was named eight days after as Olabode Rhodes-Vivour.

He started primary school in 1956. And quite unusually, he attended three (3) different primary schools i.e. Maryland Primary School, Ikeja, Lagos, St. Mathias Primary School, Akure, and Ibadan District Council School, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1963.

Between 1963 and 1968, Honourable Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour attended St. Gregory's College, Lagos. In 1970, he wrote and passed his Advanced Level Certificate Examinations and proceeded to University of Lagos for his undergraduate studies. He graduated from University of Lagos in 1974 with honours, and thereafter he was admitted into the Nigerian Law School, and was called to the Bar in 1975.

Honourable Justices Olabode Rhodes-Vivour rose through the ranks to become the eminent jurist he is today. As soon as he was called to Bar, he began to practice in his calling and by 1976, he became a Pupil State Counsel, shortly after, in 1978, he became a State Counsel and by 1982, he had become a Senior State Counsel. He was promoted to the position of a Principal State Counsel in 1984 and in 1989, he became Director of Public Prosecutions (D. P. P.) Lagos State, this position he held till 1994.

On the 18th of February 1994, he was appointed to the Bench as a High Court Judge. After many years of experience on the Bench at the High Court, he was elevated to the Bench of the Court of Appeal on the 25th of April 2005.

In 2008 on secondment by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he was posted to Sierra Leone Judiciary as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone. At his return to Nigeria, after this posting, he was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the 16th of September 2010.

Honourable Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour is a man of sterling qualities and unparalleled achievements. He has been successfully involved in various National Assignments, some of which include;

Member Election Petition Tribunal, Rivers and Imo States, 1990.
Member Election Petition Tribunal, Kwara and Anambra States, 2003 and 2004.
Member Election Appeal Tribunal, Edo State, 2005 - 2006.
Member Election Appeal Tribunal in Oyo, Ogun and Osun States in 2009.

He has attended various international professional conferences. In 1979, under the auspices of Commonwealth of Nations, Honourable Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour took part in an international conference for a course in Legislative Drafting in School of Law, Nairobi, Kenya.

Also in 1983, he attended a conference in Chicago, United States of America for an Advanced Course in Legal Drafting, similarly in 1992, he attended a Seminar on Drug Related Offences in Christ-church, University of Oxford, England. Honourable Justices Bode Rhodes-Vivour has equally attended conferences and delivered Papers within the Country. The conferences he has attended include;

Court Administration and Case Flow Management by the National Centre for State Courts.
Delegate and Rapporteur at All Nigeria Judges Conference, Abuja 2001.
Stakeholders' Summit to Review High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules in Lagos State, 2002.
EMCAP Workshop on "Strengthening the Relationship Between the Bar and the Bench", 2002.
Reform of Criminal Justice System, the Hague Netherlands, (24th - 27th August) 2003.
Chairman - Review of Criminal Procedure Law, Lagos State, 2004.
The Papers he has delivered include:

"Institution of Criminal Proceedings", delivered at the training programme for newly appointed Judges, High Court of Lagos State, organized by the Judicial Commission of Lagos State, 7th June 2001.
"Fair Hearing, Law and Practice", delivered at the Zonal Workshop for Customary Court Judges in Southern Zone, organized by the National Judicial Institute, 18th June, 2001.

He is a recipient of many excellent awards, prominent among these awards are:

An honourable award by Lagos State Government for Outstanding Contribution to the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, 2003.

Lagos State Judiciary Merit Awards in recognition of Invaluable Service to the High Court of Lagos State, December 2003.

Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFR) in 2012, and has also been a Life Bencher since (2016).

And like they say "all work and no play make Jack a dull boy", Honourable Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour is a social person, who sometimes relaxes and socializes with friends. He is a member of both Ikoyi and Islands Clubs of Lagos, and his hobbies are reading, watching sports, movies and documentaries.

Honourable Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour is happily married to Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, and they are blessed with three (3) children.

SOURCE

Ok

... The guy looks like F..............

Okay nah...

I am available if need be..

Thank me later...

Supreme court managed by Supreme cabals of the supreme hierarchy of Supreme aristocrats and demented Supreme Fulani President.

ok

this don collect enough... happy retirement...

Supreme court future governors right now

Wahala oh

With this and the death of Justice Nwali Ngwuta Buhari has two vacant positions to appoint his kinsmen not even minding that the positions were previously held by southerners

The position is definitely going to North

Must also be Northern Muslim

Teds5181:
100% 9 1

If you are sure of your game , use your father's salary and savings to play the game

Very Corrupt Judge. Like All The Others.

I was even thinking, if he honourably bow out, I never it was age that retired him.

oga you can now go back to your chamber and work as legal advisor to your state.


make I rest first

Juju sharing is dead in Nigeria

Nobody want comment?

God bless you sir.

21 Supreme court judges !!! That is unnecessary duplication of offices at the expense of tax payers. United States with almost twice population of Nigeria has 9 Supreme court judges. What is Nigeria doing with 21 judges? We need to trim those judges to five for real.

Will definitely be replaced by a northerner. You will begin to hear things like seniority since the north obviously more justices now. If the reverse was the case, they will be chanting equity

This is serious.

Please, check my signature

fergie0o1:
Number Of Supreme Court Judges Drops To 18 As Rhodes-Vivour Bows Out



The Cable


Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, CFR bio



SOURCE

I don't know what you comment

Happy Retirement Sir

It will take them another 50yrs to complete the number again. 18 judges attending to 200m people!!! Only in naija.

Frontail:
... The guy looks like F..............

Looks like what

xandy84:
21 Supreme court judges !!! That is unnecessary duplication of offices at the expense of tax payers. United States with almost twice population of Nigeria has 9 Supreme court judges. What is Nigeria doing with 21 judges? We need to trim those judges to five for real.

7 should be ideal. 1 from each zone plus the Chief Justice

Northern Nigeria enjoy Nigeria more than other part because only few among them go to school unlike the Yorubas and Igbos, where they supposed to help their brothers and sisters na so so Big Big English.

He will be replaced with the son of the Shari'a Chief Justice

Judiciary should be overruled not only in Nigeria but all the world.no human beings should have right to judge his fellow human beings .since God is going to judge humanity.

Do you need external battery and powerbank for laptops, phones etc. Ten hours plus guaranteed and twenty four hours of usage very possible! Recommend to your friends.