Judge
HONOURABLE JUSTICE ADEDOTUN ADEDAMOLA GRACE ONIBOKUN graduated from the University of Lagos with an LL.B Hons Degree Upper Division in 1983. She was on Federal Government Scholarship from her First year in 1980 to 1983 having won the National Merit for the Best Outstanding result in the first year.
In the final year in 1983, she won the Vice Chancellor’s Prize for the Best Performance at the Degree Level (Law); College/Faculty Prize for the best all-round Performance in the Faculty; Chief C. E. Abebe’s Prize for the Best All-round Final year student in the Faculty of Law 1983 and also Dr. Teslim Elias Prize for the student with best result in Jurisprudence and Legal Theory.
She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984.
She also holds a Diploma in Management 1992; Certificate in Public Relations 1994; and an Executive Diploma in Human Resources Management with Distinction (1996).
She was the Company Secretary/Legal Adviser to Rank Xerox H S Nigeria Limited where she won the Managing Director’s Award of Excellence for Outstanding Contributions to the Company in 1995 before she went back to Private Legal Practice.
In year 2001 she joined the Public Service of Osun State as Director of Ministerial Counselling; and was later the Director of Litigation and Director of Public Prosecutions in that order before she was elevated to the position of High Court Judge in December 2005 and sworn in on 4th January, 2006.
As a High Court Judge, she is a two-time recipient of Letters of Commendation by the National Judicial Council (2008 and 2009). As a Judge she has served as Member, Local Government Elections Petitions Tribunal; and handled a One-Man public Inquiry into the Ogunsua Chieftaincy matter in Modakeke Town, Osun State.
Honourable Justice Onibokun is also a member of the Board of Trustees of International Public Law Society, ICON-S (Nigeria Chapter) under whose auspices she has also organized Workshops including:
- Fragility of the Environment, Nov. 2019
- COVID-19 – The Sign of the Times; Shape of the Future and The Legal Implications, March 2022.
She is an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management, a Certified Document Examiner, and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Arbitrators Nigeria. She is widely experienced in Arbitration and is currently the Chairman of the Osun State Chapter of the Institute in which capacity she has presented papers, also organized several seminars and conferences. She has also chaired many conferences and seminars on Mediation, Arbitration and other subjects.
Honourable Justice Onibokun has published several articles in major publications and has edited and published books including:
- Editor, Management in Practice, 1990, with 13 contributions from the Academics & Banking Industry. A book being used by MBA and M.Sc. Students published under the aegis of the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce.
- Current Perspectives in Law Justice and Development, 2006.
(Initiator/Co-Editor)
- AFE – All for Equity
- Arbitration as an Instrument of Social Change
- Has presented book reviews in respect of major publications.
She continues to contribute to Legal Education at home and abroad, knowledge and wellbeing with the debut of the Journal of Current Law and Arbitration Practice and she teaches (pro bono), Alternative Dispute Resolution; Information and Communications Technology Law and Civil Procedure. It was also her lot to co-organise a webinar on ‘My Health the Legal Wealth’ with over 300 participants which included all strata of the Legal Profession including Hon. Justices of the Court of Appeal and of the Supreme Court.
A serial Award Winner, she was awarded one of the highest honour of the Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, THE SERVICE AWARD in November, 2019.
Among the executive/administrative positions held are:
- Secretary, Editorial board of the Law Society, University of Lagos (1980/81)
- Member, Social Committee of the Law Society, University of Lagos (1980/81)
- Member, Special Committee which Investigated Rag Day Malpractices set up by the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos (1982)
- Chairman, Editorial Board of the Law Society, University of Lagos (1982/83)
- Member, Constitution Drafting Committee, Oyo State Students Union (1982/83)
- Class Governor, Year 1 (1980/81) and Year 3 Final Year Law Class, University of Lagos (1982/83)
- Governor, Executive Diploma in Human Resources Class, University of Lagos (1997)
- Class President, Class of 80 -83 Alumni, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos 2011 – 2015.
His Lordship has held other positions as:
- Member, Peace Committee of the Ekiti/Kwara Anglican Church Diocese
- Chairman, Welfare/Success Committee, redeemed Christian Church of God, Royal Embassy, Ilesha.
- Deputy Chancellor, Ijesha North Anglican Diocese of the Anglican Communion
- Chancellor, Ekiti Kwara Diocese of the Anglican Communion
- Deputy Chancellorand now Chancellor, Ilesha South-West Diocese of the Anglican Communion
A lover of arts, she is a Director (Honorary) of Ijesha Heritage Foundation; a not-too-surprising vocation being a Princess of the Biladu Ruling House of Ijeshaland.
His Lordship’s personal brief is hard work with the will and zeal to excel in various legal assignments as an officer in the temple of Justice upholding her integrity and the tenets of Justice always.