Worried by mounting case backlogs and growing delays in the nation’s justice system, the Senate has commenced moves to expand Nigeria’s federal judiciary by increasing the number of judges and justices handling cases across the country.
The upper chamber on Wednesday passed for second reading two key bills seeking to strengthen the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal as courts struggle under the weight of rising caseloads.
The proposed legislation includes a Bill to amend the Federal High Court Act to increase the number of judges and another Bill seeking to raise the number of Court of Appeal justices from 70 to 110, while also introducing virtual court proceedings.
Leading the debate, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said the reforms had become inevitable as the workload of the Federal High Court continues to grow beyond the capacity of existing judges.
According to him, the court now handles a wide range of highly sensitive and complex matters, including revenue and taxation, banking, aviation, telecommunications, anti-corruption cases, terrorism financing, oil and gas disputes as well as election-related litigation.
“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.
He noted that without increasing the number of judges, delays in the administration of justice could worsen, affecting businesses, investors and ordinary Nigerians seeking redress.
The Senate subsequently approved the Federal High Court amendment bill for second reading.
On the second bill, Bamidele explained that increasing the number of Court of Appeal justices from 70 to 110 would help speed up the hearing of appeals and reduce the congestion currently slowing down the judicial process.
He added that the bill also seeks to formally integrate virtual court proceedings into the nation’s appellate system, a move expected to modernise court operations and improve efficiency.
Lawmakers who supported the bills argued that more judicial officers and technology-driven proceedings would significantly reduce delays in handling appeals, election petitions, commercial disputes and criminal matters.
Following deliberations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred both bills to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative work.
The committee was given four weeks to submit its report.
If eventually passed and signed into law, the bills would represent one of the most far-reaching judicial reforms in recent years, aimed at tackling court congestion and accelerating justice delivery across the country.
The move comes amid repeated calls by lawyers, civil society groups and business organisations for urgent reforms to address prolonged court cases, delayed judgments and the growing burden on Nigeria’s judiciary.
