By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu
All judges are politicians whether they know it or not— Enrique Petracchi, former Chief Justice of Argentina, (2002)
Among lawyers trained in the traditions of the Common Law, judicial power is often mis-understood. In Nigeria, the 1999 Constitution divides the powers of the federation between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The first two are elected. Judges are not. In the elected arms, it vests the legislative and executive powers of the federation.
