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Daud Olatunji
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has raised the alarm over the growing use of artificial intelligence in legal research, warning that AI systems can generate seemingly credible but non-existent court cases, inaccurate judicial decisions and misattributed citations.
Kekere-Ekun made the warning on Wednesday while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the 2026/2027 legal year of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja.
The CJN emphasized that while AI can be a valuable research tool for lawyers and other legal professionals, its results should not be accepted as authoritative without proper verification.
According to her, AI-generated responses could appear convincing because they might contain the names of parties, case citations, citations and seemingly detailed accounts of judgments that never existed.
He warned that relying on such trumped-up authorities in court proceedings could have serious consequences for lawyers and potentially undermine the integrity of court proceedings.
The CJN said: “An AI system can produce a response that appears authoritative, complete with party names, citations, citations and even a seemingly convincing account of the decision.
“That doesn’t make the authority genuine.”
Kekere-Ekun further stressed that a non-existent case, a misexpressed judicial decision or a misattributed citation to a judgment have no place in judicial processes.
He therefore urged lawyers to subject AI-generated legal materials to rigorous verification before relying on them in legal proceedings.
The warning comes in the context of the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence tools capable of producing human-like responses and large volumes of information in seconds, raising new challenges for the legal profession and the administration of justice.
CJN warns judges ahead of 2027 elections
The Chief Justice also warned judges against behavior that could create the perception of political alignment or predisposition as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
He noted that some judges of the National Industrial Court may, in accordance with the Constitution and applicable laws, be called upon to serve in election petition tribunals.
Kekere-Ekun said the politically sensitive nature of election disputes, coupled with the intense public attention they attract, requires an even higher degree of impartiality, restraint and detachment from judicial officers.
He warned that the judges’ conduct will be closely scrutinized, urging them to ensure that their associations, public engagements and other activities do not create a reasonable perception of being aligned with a political interest.
The CJN said: “Whether you are sitting in this Court or carrying out a role in the Tribunal, you must remain aware that your conduct will be closely scrutinized.”
He added that the legal profession must not be used as a vehicle to manipulate the judicial process for partisan or strategic purposes.
In her opinion, the appropriate court or tribunal for a case should be determined by law and not by the perceived likelihood of success before a particular judge.
CJN warns against public pressure on judges
The CJN also called for restraint in public comments regarding judicial proceedings and decisions.
He said lawyers and members of the public have the right to criticize judicial rulings and processes, but warned that those rights do not extend to personal attacks against judges, deliberate misrepresentation of proceedings or attempts to pressure courts through public opinion.
Kekere-Ekun advised those who have genuine concerns about judicial conduct to use established institutional channels rather than resort to public attacks.
He also warned lawyers against filing duplicate cases, stressing that such practices could produce conflicting judgments, undermine public confidence and bring the judiciary into disrepute.
NICN settles 2,236 cases
Meanwhile, the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Justice Benedict Kanyip, has revealed that the court disposed of 2,236 cases in its judicial divisions during the last legal year.
Kanyip said the performance represents a significant increase in the court’s rate of case resolution and has helped reduce its historic backlog despite the volume of cases handled by the court.
He commended the judges for their commitment to duty, saying the court has made significant progress in handling cases before it.
However, the NICN president expressed concern about the limited use of the court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Center.
According to him, in the last judicial year, in different judicial sections of the court, only 31 cases were referred to the ADR Centre.
Kanyip urged litigants and their lawyers to make better use of ADR, particularly in employment-related disputes, stressing that efficient delivery of justice cannot depend solely on conventional litigation.
He said: “Judicial efficiency cannot be based on litigation alone.”
The Court obtains the support of FG
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has pledged the Federal Government’s continued support to the National Industrial Court.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, also highlighted the need for Nigerian employment jurisprudence to remain dynamic while being firmly anchored in the rule of law.
The legal year ceremony was preceded by the commissioning of the National Industrial Court headquarters building.
Among the dignitaries at the event were former Chief Justices of Nigeria, Justices Mahmud Mohammed and Walter Onnoghen; the President of the Court of Appeal, Judge Monica Dongbam-Mensen; Senior Lawyers of Nigeria and other members of the legal profession.
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