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The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, has lauded the Court of Appeal for introducing special sittings across its divisions to tackle case congestion.
The AGF gave the commendation at a ceremony the Court of Appeal held to mark the beginning of its 2025/2026 Legal Year.
He said the initiative demonstrated responsiveness to public concerns about delays in the dispensation of justice.
“It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that in recent months, the judiciary has come under public scrutiny and criticism, often marked by misrepresentations of judicial decisions in the public space.
“These criticisms, whether fair or misplaced, remind us of the delicate balance between judicial authority, public trust and perception.
“Yet, let it be said clearly that criticism of the judiciary is a testament to the central role it plays in our democracy.
“At this solemn juncture in our national life, it is also impossible to ignore the grave challenge of insecurity that confronts our country.
“From insurgency and terrorism to banditry, kidnapping and violent crimes, these threats imperil not only the safety of our citizens but also the very fabric of our constitutional democracy.
“The judiciary, as the guardian of justice and the custodian of the rule of law, must lend its weight to national efforts to combat insecurity,” he said.
President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, decried the backlog of cases awaiting judicial attention.
“Electoral matters consumed our time and energy,” the PCA lamented, even as she urged lawyers to always encourage their clients to accept amicable settlement of cases through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
“Although the general elections are behind us, electoral litigation remains a dominant feature of our docket. Post-election disputes from governorship and legislative contests continued to reach the court for off-season elections.
“Endless litigation drains our scarce resources. We are currently in serious debt.
“We, therefore, appeal to political actors: democracy cannot flourish if every electoral contest is dragged into the courtroom.”
Dongban-Mensem said the court of appeal received 5,225 appeals and 9,906 motions in the outgone 2024/2025 legal year.
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She added that 3,193 appeals were successfully determined and heard while 5,623 motions were heard.
“Of the appeals concluded, 2,503 were dismissed while 690 were allowed. As at October 31, the Court had 31,618 appeals and 3,382 motions pending.
“When compared to the 2023/2024 legal year, a clear improvement emerges. In that year, only 2,299 appeals were determined, and the number of pending appeals stood at 41,952.
“The significant reduction in the backlog this year reflects the exceptional commitment and hard work of my brother justices in dispensing justice judiciously and judicially,” Dongban-Mensem said.
She said such success was attributed to the justices’ sacrifices and professionalism to uphold the integrity of the judicial system.
She noted that this commitment to justice was reflected not only in their decisions, but also in the atmosphere they cultivate.
“We strive to uphold openness and respect, ensuring that litigants are meaningfully heard and their rights protected.
“Through the continued use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) where appropriate, we have reduced congestion in our dockets and strengthened access to timely justice.
“During the year under review, the Centre managed a total of 121 mediation matters as at October 2025.
“These cases emanated from a variety of sources, including referrals from the court’s registries, applications made directly by disputants and referrals initiated by justices of the court.
“Mediation sessions were actively conducted across the Centre’s three operational locations; Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Jos.
During the year under review, the Centre managed 121 mediation matters as at October 2025.
“These cases emanated from a variety of sources, including referrals from the court’s registries, applications made directly by disputants and referrals initiated by justices of the court,” she said.
“Of the matters handled, 34 were successfully resolved through mutually agreeable settlement arrangement, resulting in enforceable resolutions duly approved by the Court.
“A total of 26 matters were returned to the Court for adjudication due to parties being unable to reach consensus. Consequently, 61 matters remain pending before the Centre,” she said.
