Roseline or Rosaline Ajoke Omotosho, née Sonola-Soyinka (died 1999) was a Nigerian judge. From 12 April 1995 to 27 February 1996 she was
Chief Judge of Lagos State
The Chief Judge of Lagos State is the head of the Lagos State Judiciary, the judicial branch of the Lagos State Government and the chief judge of the High Court of Lagos State. From 1967 to 1973, the title was called Chief Justice of the Suprem ...
. She was the first female Chief Judge in
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, and indeed in
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...
.
[The Lagos State Judiciary]
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Life
Rosaline Omotosho's maiden name was Sonola-Soyinka.[Adebisi Onanuga]
Lagos immortalises first woman CJ
''The Nation'', 10 March 2015. Accessed 12 March 2020. She studied for the Bar at Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...
from 1957 to 1959. She was called to the English Bar
Barristers in England and Wales are one of the two main categories of lawyer in England and Wales, the other being solicitors. Barristers have traditionally had the role of handling cases for representation in court, both defence and prosecutio ...
on 7 February 1961 and enrolled at 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 ...
on 15 June 1961.[Peters Ifeoma]
Women who blazed the Legal Trail in Nigeria
''DNL Legal and Style'', 8 March 2017. Accessed 12 March 2020.
Omotosho worked for a few months at Burke and Impey before starting in September 1961 as a Pupil Crown Counsel in the Federal Ministry of Justice. She became State Counsel in June 1963, Senior legal Assistant in May 1965, and State Counsel Grade 1 in September 1966. In July 1968 she was appointed acting Deputy Administrator-General, and in October 1968 was appointed acting Registrar of commercial Legislation. She was appointed Director of Commercial Law on 1 April 1976.[
She joined the ]High Court of Lagos State
The High Court of Lagos State is the highest state court of law in Lagos State. It has several divisions, including Igbosere, Lagos Island, Ikeja, Epe, Ajah, Badagry, and Ikorodu
Ikorodu is a large city in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located t ...
on 6 March 1978.[ She succeeded Justice Ayorinde as Chief Judge of Lagos State, taking office on 12 April 1995. On 27 February 1997 she stepped down, and was succeeded by Justice Olusola Thomas.][
She died on 1 July 1999.][ At a service held in her honor, Justice Christopher Olatunde Segun appealed for divine intervention to stop the rate of deaths affecting the state judiciary.][Adewale Busari]
Nigeria: Deaths In Lagos Judiciary CJ Seeks Divine Intervention
''P. M. News'', 16 July 1999. Accessed 12 March 2020. In 2015 she was memorialized by a new courthouse in Ikeja
Ikeja is the capital city of Lagos State in southwestern Nigeria. Its population, as of the 2006 census, is 313,196. Prior to the emergence of military rule in the early 1980s, Ikeja was a well planned, clean and quiet residential and commercia ...
named after her.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Omotosho, Rosaline
Year of birth missing
1999 deaths
Nigerian judges
Nigerian women judges
Lagos State judges
Members of Gray's Inn
St Anne's School, Ibadan alumni