HON. JUSTICE HELEN MORONKEJI OGUNWUMIJU, JSC, FCIArb 

HELEN MORONKEJI OGUNWUMIJU, born on 23-03-1957 as Helen Moronkeji ADEGBIE to Mr. H. M. Adegbie and Mrs M. A. Adegbie in Ondo City, Ondo West Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria. Obtained School Certificate in 1972 at Adekile Goodwill Grammar School, Ibadan; Higher School Certificate in 1974 at Ibadan Grammar School, Ibadan; Law Graduate of the University of Lagos in 1977. Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978. Served in the NYSC in Old Gongola State 1978/1979. Worked briefly with Ondo State Government from 1979-1981. Married Otunba Festus Kokumo Ogunwumiju in 1980. Blessed with children. From 1981 - 1990 worked with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and rose to the rank of Assistant Director. Helped to establish Legal Aid Offices and Programs in Oyo, Osun, Lagos, Sokoto and several States of Nigeria. Appointed a Chief Magistrate Grade 1 in Oyo State in 1991. Served as Chief Magistrate in Ibadan, Ile-Ife, Eruwa, Igboora and Oyo Magisterial Districts. Appointed Secretary, Judicial Service Committee, Oyo State, in 1996. Appointed Probate Registrar, State Sheriff, then Chief Registrar of Oyo State in February 1997. As Chief Registrar, established the Records Unit of the Court for Archiving of Court records. 

Appointed a Judge of the High Court of Ondo State in November 1998 with jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters. In 2000, Chair, Investigative Board of Enquiry into Produce Dept. Member, Election Petition Tribunal, Taraba State 2003. Member, First Presidential Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice 2003, and helped produce the first draft of the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill now Act. 

Elevated to the Court of Appeal, Nigeria in November 2005. The Court has jurisdiction in all appeals from the various Federal and State High Courts, National Industrial Court, other Courts and Tribunals in Nigeria. At the Court of Appeal, worked in Ilorin, Benin, Owerri, Lagos and Enugu Divisions of the Court apart from ad hoc judicial assignments in other Divisions. As Presiding Justice, Benin Division in 2013, pioneered the introduction of the Communications (Front) Desk in the Court of Appeal. Was Presiding Justice from 2013 in Benin and Enugu Divisions of the Court of Appeal. Served as Chair, Information Technology Committee of 

the Court of Appeal. Vice-Chair Information Technology Committee of the National Judicial Council. Chair, Media Committee of the Court of Appeal. Elevated to the Supreme Court on 6th November 2020. Serving Chair, Governing Council, West African Regional Centre for Law and Religion Studies - facilitating several Law and Religion roundtable conferences in the West African sub-region. Fellow, Salzburg Seminar, Session 390. Member, Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association. Member, National Association of Women Judges, Nigeria. As President of the National Association of Women Judges (2014-2016), coordinated the IAWJ initiative GLOW (Global Leadership of Women) program in several geopolitical zones of the Country which facilitated widespread public enlightenment and training of Police Officers and Law Officers in the investigation and prosecution of rape/defilement; abduction/kidnapping and like offences. 

In 2014, Facilitated with the active cooperation of then Inspector General of Police the establishment by the Nigeria Police of a Special Victims Desk (Now Gender Desk) in all Divisional Police Stations in Nigeria to be manned by specially trained Officers to treat reported cases of domestic/ sexual based violence. Board Member, for West and Central Africa, International Association of Women Judges, 2016-2018. The IAWJ is an Article 501(c) 3 NGO in special consultative status with UNESCO. Appointed Deputy in 2005, and since 2012, Lord Chancellor, Ibadan Diocese, Anglican Communion, Church of Nigeria to date. 

Publications: 

1. Paper: Land Rights, Use and Trade in collaboration with Prof. Bola O. Akanji in the book: Women in African-Development-The Challenge of Liberalization in the 21st Century 

Edited By: Sylvian H. Boko, Prof. Mina Baliamoune-Lutz, Prof. Sitawa R. Kimuna. Published By: African Research & Publications 

2. Paper: Civil Procedure in the Magistrates' Court. Book: The Pursuit of Justice and Development Essays in Honour of Hon. Justice M. O. 

— 

Onalaja JCA. Edited by: Prof. Akinseye-George and Gbolahan Gbadamosi Esq. 

3. Paper: Obedience To and Enforcement of Procedural Rules in the dispensation of Justice. Book:Criss-crossing Law and jurisprudence: Festschrift for Prof. Akindele Babatunde Oyebode. Edited By: Prof. Ayo Atsenua, Prof. A. Sanni et al. 

Hobbies: Enjoys playing Golf, Chess and Table Tennis 

HELEN MORONKEJI OGUNWUMIJU 

JUSTICE, SUPREME COURT