The Senate has passed for a second reading two bills seeking to expand the number of judges in the nation’s superior courts as part of ongoing efforts to decongest the judiciary and accelerate the dispensation of justice across the country.
The proposed legislation seeks to increase the statutory number of judges in the Federal High Court from 70 to 90, while also raising the number of Justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110.
Leading the debate during Wednesday’s plenary session, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who sponsored the bills, explained that the measures are aimed at strengthening the nation’s justice system by expanding its capacity to handle a rapidly growing volume of cases.
According to him, no democracy can thrive where citizens and institutions are unable to obtain prompt judicial determinations of disputes.
He added that the justice sector must be adequately equipped with the human and material resources necessary to perform its constitutional responsibilities effectively.
On the proposed amendment to the Court of Appeal Act 2004, the Senate Leader explained that the Court of Appeal occupies a strategic position within the Nigerian judiciary as the intermediary appellate court between trial courts and the Supreme Court, as established under Section 237 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The core objectives of the bill include increasing the number of Court of Appeal Justices from 70 to 110, ensuring equitable representation of all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the composition of the court, clarifying issues relating to seniority and ranking among justices, strengthening the court’s administrative functions, and improving the overall efficiency of appellate adjudication.
He equally argued that expanding the bench of the Federal High Court is both reasonable and necessary to significantly reduce the backlog of pending cases, improve access to justice through timely hearings, and enhance the prosecution of corruption and financial crimes.
He added that it would boost investor confidence through the faster resolution of commercial disputes and strengthen adjudication in specialized sectors such as banking, telecommunications, maritime affairs, aviation, and intellectual property.
The bills received overwhelming support during the debate, with no lawmaker opposing their passage for a second reading.