Senate backs adding more judges to clear case backlog

Nigeria's Senate has initiated legislative action to expand the federal judiciary, advancing two bills aimed at increasing the number of judges at the Federal High Court and justices at the Court of Appeal. This move is a direct response to the escalating case backlogs and significant delays plaguing the administration of justice.

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Over the years, the volume of cases before the Federal High Court has increased exponentially. The expansion of economic activities, growth in commercial transactions, advancement in technology, the emergence of cyber crimes, increasing anti-corruption prosecutions and the complexity of modern governance have significantly expanded the workload of the court.

Leading the debate, Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele highlighted the necessity of these proposals, emphasizing the Federal High Court's expanding responsibilities and the overwhelming volume of cases. The court holds exclusive jurisdiction over critical sectors such as taxation, banking, aviation, telecommunications, anti-corruption efforts, and oil and gas disputes. Bamidele noted that the growing complexity within these sectors has placed immense pressure on the court's resources.

"Over the years, the volume of cases before the Federal High Court has increased exponentially," Bamidele stated, attributing this rise to expanding economic activities, increased commercial transactions, technological advancements, the emergence of cybercrimes, and intensified anti-corruption prosecutions. He argued that the current statutory number of judges is no longer adequate to meet the demands placed upon the court, leading to "congestion of court dockets, prolonged delays in hearing and determination of cases, increased cost of litigation to litigants."

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The statutory number of judges has remained inadequate relative to the demands placed upon the court.

A separate bill also considered by the Senate seeks to amend the Court of Appeal Act. This legislation proposes to increase the number of justices from 70 to 110 and introduce provisions for virtual court proceedings, aiming to modernize operations and enhance the appellate court's capacity. Both bills have been referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further scrutiny.

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The situation, he noted, has resulted in “congestion of court dockets, prolonged delays in hearing and determination of cases, increased cost of litigation to litigants etc.”