The Chief Judge of Ogun State, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, has called on magistrates in Nigeria to invest consistently in self-development.
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Justice Dipeolu also urged magistrates to read judgments of superior courts, keep abreast of legislative developments, improve their legal research and judgment-writing skills, and participate in continuing judicial education.
She equally cautioned magistrates against treating their present office as a mere waiting room for elevation to the High Court Bench, stressing that the Magistracy is an office of considerable responsibility in its own right.
The Ogun State Chief Judge made the call on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the National Convention of the Magistrates’ Association of Nigeria, held at the Ceremonial Court, Judiciary Complex, Kobape Road, Abeokuta.
She noted that Ogun State has maintained its annual Magistrates’ Conference without interruption since 1976, holding 45 editions.
The convention, themed “Strengthening the Magistracy for Effective Justice Delivery through Capacity Building and Innovation” and tagged “Gateway Convention 2026,” was scheduled to hold from October 19 to 22, 2026.
It is the first national gathering of the association in 10 years since the 2016 convention in Rivers State and is expected to elect a new National Executive Committee to restore democratic continuity.
Speaking as both Chief Judge and a former magistrate, Justice Dipeolu said she understood the demands associated with determining rights and liberties, as well as the aspirations for career progression, but urged magistrates not to allow uncertainty about future appointments to diminish the quality of their service.
She charged every magistrate to invest consistently in self-development, read judgments of superior courts, keep abreast of legislative developments, improve legal research and judgment-writing, and participate in continuing judicial education.
On innovation and technology, the Chief Judge said electronic transactions, cybercrime, online fraud, electronically stored records and Artificial Intelligence now present questions for judicial determination.
She urged magistrates to embrace e-filing, digital case management and virtual proceedings where permitted, stressing that technology must serve justice rather than compromise fair hearing and judicial independence.
Delivering his keynote paper entitled “The Future of the Nigerian Magistracy in an Evolving Justice Sector,” Sola Ojutalayo described the magistrate as “the Gateway of the Justice Process within this chain which occupies a unique position, because he is usually the first justice-dispensing officer to review what the police and prosecution have done.”
Ojutalayo listed challenges confronting magistrates to include independence and funding, poor welfare and conditions of service, unconducive working environments, unclear paths to the higher Bench, appointment and transfer issues, caseloads, delays and congestion, records management and technology, jurisdictional overlap and institutional relations, as well as public trust, integrity and ethics.
He recommended reforms in criminal procedure, digitalisation and virtual hearings, alternative dispute resolution and specialised courts to strengthen the Magistracy and enhance justice delivery.
Discussing Ojutalayo’s presentation, Justice Adeola Adelaja of the Ogun State High Court noted that the future of the Nigerian Magistracy depends not only on technological advancement but also on the competence, integrity, welfare and independence of its judicial officers.
Adelaja said that although all the issues discussed by the keynote speaker were important, many of the proposed reforms would require sustained cooperation among the judiciary, the executive and other justice-sector institutions.
“Improved welfare and career progression, adequate funding, continuing judicial education, transparent appointments, effective case management, appropriate use of alternative dispute resolution and responsible adoption of technology are all important to the continued development of the Magistracy. These reforms must be pursued without compromising judicial independence or the right to a fair hearing.
“Ultimately, the Magistracy must remain accessible, competent and responsive to the people it serves. Its success should be reflected not merely in the number of cases disposed of or the adoption of modern technology, but in whether people can obtain justice fairly, promptly and in accordance with the law,” Justice Adelaja submitted.
On his part, the Chief Registrar of the Ogun State High Court, Luqman Oke, said the future must be measured by value created within the system, not just opportunities given, and proposed six practical steps for individual magistrates, including exceptional case management to tackle delays.
Oke cited current figures of 80,812 inmates in Nigerian Correctional Service facilities, with 51,955, representing 64 per cent, awaiting trial. He urged magistrates to maintain case-management records, embrace available technology such as WhatsApp for notices and electronic calendars, become students of the law, make courtrooms places of dignity, measure performance and build their reputation on integrity rather than lobbying.
He also proposed five collective initiatives for the association: the establishment of a Magistracy Reform and Data Unit to publish an annual State of the Nigerian Magistracy Report; a practical Innovation Network to share best practices; a structured reform agenda with transparent criteria for career progression; stronger justice-sector coordination; and a common professional voice that is evidence-based and respectful.
“It is understandable that many magistrates aspire to the High Court Bench. However, an uncertain promotion process can become a source of constant anxiety if our entire sense of professional worth depends on it. Prepare diligently for advancement, but continue to build a meaningful career in the Magistracy. Develop leadership skills, legal expertise, mentoring capacity and institutional knowledge. Contribute to law reform, judicial training and administrative innovation within the limits of your role.
“The objective is not to abandon ambition. It is to ensure that ambition does not make us vulnerable to manipulation or rob us of satisfaction in the work we presently do.
“Finally, we must recognise that professional resilience is not the same as silent endurance. We should not romanticise poor working conditions or treat inadequate welfare as a test of loyalty. The responsibility to improve the system remains with the authorities empowered to do so. Our task is to remain effective while pursuing that improvement,” Oke stated.
Earlier, in her welcome address, the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the Magistrates’ Association of Nigeria, Onome Nwankwo, said the Caretaker Committee was constituted on January 27, 2026, after the dissolution of the former executive and convened a NEC meeting in Abuja on April 25, 2026, to reactivate national leadership processes.
She described the Abeokuta convention as a new dawn for institutional renewal.
Nwankwo paid tribute to Justice Dipeolu for her support and generosity in hosting the event and urged delegates to conduct peaceful and credible elections guided by integrity, competence and commitment to service.
She also called on state branches to remain functional, pay their dues promptly and support national programmes to build an association that remains active throughout the year.
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