John Idowu Conrad Taylor was a renowned Nigerian lawyer, a seminal figure in Lagos. During his time practicing at the Nigerian Bar he was a commanding figure, well remembered for several high profile cases. Taylor matriculated at Brasenose in 1937 and was awarded a 2nd Class B.A. (Honours) degree in Jurisprudence, graduating on 27 July 1940. On 14 January 1941 he was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple. In December 1941 he returned to Nigeria where he joined his father’s law firm. Following his father’s death in 1947 Taylor was made head of the law firm and went on to serve on the Nigerian Bench for a total of 17 years. By 1956, aged 39, he had risen to the position of Judge of the High Court, Western Region (Nigeria) and four years later he was Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In 1964 he became Chief Justice of the High Court of the Federal Territory of Lagos, a position he held until 1967. When Lagos State was created on 27 May 1967 Taylor became the first Chief Justice of the new state, which restructured Nigeria into a Federation of 12 states.
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