The Nigerian Supreme Court became the highest court of appeal in the

Answer Details

The Nigerian Supreme Court became the highest court of appeal under the 1963 Republican Constitution. Before this, when Nigeria gained independence in 1960, the country remained a constitutional monarchy with the British monarch as head of state, represented by a Governor-General. Under the 1960 Independence Constitution, the final court of appeal was still the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.

When Nigeria became a republic on 1 October 1963, the 1963 Constitution severed this remaining link with the British judicial system. The Supreme Court of Nigeria was elevated to become the final court of appeal, meaning that all legal disputes were resolved within Nigeria's own judicial system without any further recourse to a British court.

This was a significant step in Nigeria's sovereignty, as it meant the country's judiciary was fully independent. The 1954 Constitution (Lyttleton) and the 1960 Constitution did not achieve this, and there was no 1945 constitution in Nigerian constitutional history - the constitution in that era was the Richards Constitution of 1946.