A retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Paul Nwokedi, is dead.
He passed away at the age of 91.
Justice Nwokedi was the pioneer Chairman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
He was also Chairman of the National Law Reform Commission for 10 years.
The late jurist, who bowed out of the Bench in 1995, was also a former Chief Judge of the old Anambra State.
Born on November 3, 1926, Nwokedi started his elementary education at Holy Trinity School, Onitsha. He moved to St. Gregory’s College, Lagos.
He worked briefly and thereafter acquired his Bachelor of Arts (B.A) degree in London. He studied law at LSE London.
When the Zikist Movement was formed at St. John’s School, Aroloya, Lagos, he was a member of the committee of students in Lagos. He later joined the Zikist Movement and was one of its leaders.
Justice Nwokedi had practised law for about 17 years before he was appointed a judge of East Central State, comprising Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo State.
Nwokedi, it was gathered, almost became a royal father but he declined to be crowned as Igwe-Achalla, and instead, gave the opportunity to his younger brother, Dr. Alex Nwokedi.