Retired Supreme Court of Nigeria Justice, A. B. WALI JSC died in Kano yesterday after a protracted illness, and has been buried the Islamic way.

Hon. Justice Abubakar Bashir Wali, CON was born in Kano city on 21st July, 1932. He attended Emir’s Palace School, Kano from 1942 to 1945; Kano Middle school, Kano from 1945 to 1950; School for Arabic Studies, Kano from 1950 to 1955; Khartoum Technical Institute of Education, Sudan from 1955 to 1956; Institute of Administration, Zaria from 1959 to 1960; School for Oriental and African Studies, University London, England from 1961 to 1962.

His Lordship was admitted to the Lincoln’s Inn, London, and was called to the English Bar on 4th February, 1964. He later attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos from October 1964 to Nov 1964, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1965.

Hon. Justice Wali served as a Scribe with the then Kano Native Authority from 1954 to 1955. Thereafter, he was employed by the Northern Regional Literacy Agency, Zaria, as an Arabist and Calligraphist. He also served as an interpreter and translator with the High Court of then Northern Nigeria in Kaduna.

In 1965, after being called to the Bar, he started his judicial career as a Magistrate in the Civil Service of Northern Nigeria in 1965. He remained in that position until 1968 when he was promoted to the post of Senior Magistrate in 1968. He later became Chief Magistrate in 1969, and acted as Chief Registrar, Kano State High Court in 1970. He was later appointed as Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal of Kano State.

In 1975, he became the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of Kano State. In the same year, he was appointed a judge of the High Court of Kano State but was allowed to retain the post of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice until 1977 when he returned to the High Court. In 1979, he became a Justice of the then Federal Court of Appeal.

In 1987, he was appointed to the Supreme Court Bench. In 1999, he was appointed as the Justice of the Supreme Court of Republic of Gambia, a post which he combined with that of the Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Justice Wali was also appointed a member of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly, which between 1977 and 1978, drafted the 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has been a member of the Body of Benchers since 1987, and was made a life member. He was elected as Vice Chairman and later its chairman from 1998 to 1999, 1999 to 2000.

Hon Justice Wali was a quite essential jurist per excellent. His deep knowledge of the Islamic law and jurisprudence had been an asset to the Nigerian copus jurist. He also contributed immensely in other areas of law and politics cum fundamental rights.

Few instances of his cases is the classical 12 2/3 provision and the interpretation in 1979 Constitution in the case of Awolowo v. Shagari (1979)6-9 S.C. 51 where ....

https://judicialsketch.com/2020/01/22/tribute-to-hon-justice-a-b-wali-jsc-rtd/

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