The Senate has passed for second reading two bills aimed at increasing the number of judges in Nigeria’s superior courts as part of efforts to ease judicial congestion and speed up the administration of justice across the country.
The proposed legislation seeks to raise the number of judges of the Federal High Court from 70 to 90, while increasing the number of Justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110.
Leading the debate during Wednesday’s plenary, Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, sponsor of the bills, said the proposed amendments are designed to strengthen the justice system by enhancing its capacity to handle the growing volume of cases before the courts.
According to him, no democratic system can function effectively where citizens and institutions are unable to obtain timely judicial resolution of disputes. He stressed that the judiciary must be provided with adequate human and material resources to discharge its constitutional responsibilities efficiently.
Speaking on the proposed amendment to the Court of Appeal Act 2004, Bamidele noted that the Court of Appeal occupies a crucial position within the judicial hierarchy as the intermediary appellate court between trial courts and the Supreme Court, in line with Section 237 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He explained that the bill seeks to increase the number of Justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110, ensure equitable representation of all states and the Federal Capital Territory within the court, clarify issues relating to seniority and ranking among justices, strengthen administrative functions and improve the efficiency of appellate adjudication.
The Senate leader further argued that increasing the number of Federal High Court judges is both necessary and justifiable, as it would help reduce the backlog of pending cases, improve access to justice through faster hearings and judgments, strengthen the prosecution of corruption and financial crimes, boost investor confidence through the prompt resolution of commercial disputes, and enhance adjudication in specialised areas such as banking, telecommunications, maritime affairs, aviation and intellectual property.
The bills enjoyed broad support during the debate, with no senator opposing their passage for second reading.
Following their consideration, the Senate referred the consolidated bills to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative action.
The committee has been mandated to report its findings and recommendations to the Senate within four weeks.