John Idowu Conrad Taylor (24 August 1917 – 7 November 1973) was a Nigerian jurist, Judge of the

Supreme Court of Nigeria The Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN) is the highest court in Nigeria, and is located in the Central District, Abuja, in what is known as the Three Arms Zone, so called due to the proximity of the offices of the Presidential Complex, the National Ass ...

(1964 to 1967), and the first Chief Justice of Lagos State (1967 to 1973).

Education and early life

John Taylor was born in Lagos and was the fourth child of Eusebius James Alexander Taylor (a prominent lawyer and nationalist) and Remilekun Alice Taylor (née Williams). He attended Olowogbowo Methodist School for his primary education and

Methodist Boys High School Methodist Boys High School, Lagos (MBHS Lagos) is a secondary school for boys located in Victoria Island, Lagos. Nigeria. Founded in 1878, it was the second secondary school established in Nigeria. History The leaders of the Methodist community, ...

for part of his secondary education. He left for England in 1929 where he completed his secondary education at

Culford School Culford School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school for pupils age 1-18 in the village of Culford, miles north of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, England. The headmaster is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Confer ...

in Bury St. Edmunds, between April 1929 and July 1936. He entered

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

in 1936 to read law, before transferring to

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...

in 1937 where he was a Boxing Blue. He graduated with a second class degree in the Honour School of Jurisprudence and was subsequently called to the Bar at the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...

on 14 January 1941. He returned to Nigeria in December 1941 and joined his father's law firm, which he later headed upon his father's death in 1947.

Career

Taylor had a swift rise through the Nigerian legal ranks, culminating in appointment as a Judge of the High Court, Western Nigeria, at the age of 39. In 1960 he became Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and, in 1964, Chief Justice of the Federal Territory of Lagos. When Lagos State was created in 1967, he became the first Chief Justice of the new state. In 1967 Justice Taylor became Pro-Chancellor of the

University of Lagos The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in th ...

, a position which he held until his death in 1973 at age 56. Upon his death, the Nigerian Head of State, General

Yakubu Gowon Yakubu Dan-Yumma 'Jack' Gowon (born 19 October 1934) is a retired Nigerian Army general and military leader. As Head of State of Nigeria, Gowon presided over a controversial Nigerian Civil War and delivered the famous "no victor, no vanquish ...

, delivered a speech in which he said: "In an age which corruption, intrigues back biting and the love of office and power are fast becoming a virtue, Mr. Justice Taylor stood out from the crowd with a detachment that has brought immense dignity to the High Office of a Judge". He also has a major street in Victoria Island, Lagos named after him. ''This Day'' Newspaper tribute

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, John (judge) 1917 births 1973 deaths Nigerian judges People educated at Culford School Alumni of King's College London Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford 20th-century Nigerian lawyers Lagos State judges 20th-century Nigerian people University of Lagos people Methodist Boys' High School alumni Lawyers from Lagos Colonial Nigeria judges Supreme Court of Nigeria justices Nigerian expatriates in the United Kingdom