Senate moves to expand judiciary as caseload overwhelms courts 

The Senate on Wednesday commenced legislative action to expand Nigeria’s federal judiciary, giving second reading to two bills aimed at increasing the number of judges at the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal to address mounting case backlogs and delays in justice delivery.

This followed the consideration of a Bill for an Act to amend the Federal High Court Act to increase the number of its judges, and a Bill for an Act to amend the Court of Appeal Act, to among other things, increase the number of justices of the court from 70 to 110 and provide for the integration of virtual court proceedings.

Leading debate on the bill to amend the Federal High Court Act, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said the proposal had become necessary due to the rapid expansion of the court’s jurisdiction and the exponential growth in cases before it.

He told lawmakers that the Federal High Court now exercises exclusive jurisdiction over critical areas including revenue and taxation, banking, aviation, telecommunications, anti-corruption cases, terrorism financing, oil and gas disputes, and election-related matters.

“Over the years, the volume of cases before the Federal High Court has increased exponentially. The statutory number of judges has remained inadequate relative to the demands placed on the court,” Bamidele said.

The Senate subsequently granted the bill second reading.

The upper chamber also considered a bill to amend the Court of Appeal Act, Cap C36, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Presenting the bill, Bamidele explained that it seeks to increase the number of Justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110, and to provide for the integration of virtual court proceedings.

Lawmakers noted that the proposed increase in judicial personnel, combined with the adoption of technology-driven proceedings, is expected to reduce delays in hearing appeals and improve access to justice nationwide.

Following deliberations, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, referred both bills to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters with a mandate to report back to the chamber within four weeks.

If passed and signed into law, the bills would mark one of the most significant expansions of Nigeria’s federal judiciary in recent years.

Legal practitioners, business groups and civil society organisations have repeatedly called for reforms to address judicial congestion, which they say contributes to prolonged commercial disputes, criminal trials and election petitions.

Senate moves to expand judiciary as caseload overwhelms courts