Senate backs adding more judges to clear case backlog

The Senate on Tuesday began legislative action to expand Nigeria’s federal judiciary, as lawmakers advanced two bills seeking to increase the number of judges of the Federal High Court and justices of the Court of Appeal in response to growing case backlogs and delays in the administration of justice. The bills, which scaled second reading during plenary, were subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative scrutiny and are expected back before the chamber within four weeks. Leading debate on the first bill, which seeks to amend existing laws to increase the number of judges of the Federal High Court, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said the proposal had become necessary due to the expanding responsibilities of the court and the rising volume of cases before it. He noted that the Federal High Court exercises exclusive jurisdiction over key sectors of the economy and governance, including taxation, banking, aviation, telecommunications, anti-corruption cases, terrorism financing, oil and gas disputes, and election-related matters. According to him, the growing complexity of these sectors has placed enormous pressure on the court. “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,” he said. Bamidele argued that the number of judges currently provided under the law no longer reflects the realities facing the nation’s justice system. “The statutory number of judges has remained inadequate relative to the demands placed upon the court,” he stated. He warned that the shortage of judicial officers has contributed to prolonged litigation and delays in the delivery of justice. 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.” Following the debate, the Senate granted the bill a second reading. Related News Federal high court begins annual vacation July 27 Bamidele pushes six-year single term for presidents, govs Cyberbullying: Doris Ogala’s arraignment stalled again over ill health The upper chamber also considered a separate bill seeking to amend the Court of Appeal Act to strengthen the capacity of the appellate court and modernise its operations. Presenting t