Justice Sogbetun obtained his honors degree in law at the King’s College, University of London in 1956 and was called to the Bar in 1958. Before his appointment as a Judge in 1977, Justice Sogbetun was at a time Legal Adviser of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation on 1 August, 1975 and later Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In these capacities he, inter alia, was extensively involved in the negotiation and documentation of several joint ventures, project financings and international business transactions in which the nation was involved. He represented Nigeria in various international conferences including ‘Commonwealth Conference of Minister of Finance’ as a Legal delegate, ‘Drafting Committee of the United Nations Convention on the Representation of States in their relations with International Organizations’, the ‘United Nations Seminar on Alternatives to Imprisonment’, Law of the Sea and several others.
Hon. Mr. Justice Solomon Osobukunola Sogbetun also headed a number of Committees of Inquiries set up by the Federal Government. He was Chairman of the Committee of Inquiries into the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria and that of the Nigeria Produce and Marketing Company. He also headed the panel of West African Examination Council Examination Leakages.
As a brilliant and fearless judge and in recognition of his dedication to public service, the Federal Republic of Nigeria honored him with the national award of the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (O.F.R.).