House Approves Bill to Increase Number of Court of Appeal Justices

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The House of Representatives has approved a bill seeking to amend the Court of Appeal Act, aiming to increase the number of justices in the appellate court from 90 to 150. The bill, sponsored by Patrick Umoh, proposes a minimum of six justices in each division of the Court of Appeal.

The proposed legislation, titled “A bill to amend the Court of Appeal Act, Cap C.36, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to increase the number of justices of the Court and provide for the appointment of a minimum of 6 justices in every Judicial division of the Court for speedy and efficient justice delivery and to improve citizens access to justice and related matters,” was approved for second reading.

Umoh, while leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, explained that the current number of justices is inadequate for ensuring speedy justice delivery. He argued that the recent creation of new divisions within the Court of Appeal has further strained the existing resources.

“The number of justices provided by the law has become inadequate given the recent creation of the new divisions of the Court- Kano, Gombe, Akwa, Asaba, etc.,” Umoh stated. “There is a high increase in the volume of cases attended to by the Court, which of course has necessitated the creation of the new divisions. This implies increased workload with fewer hands, which therefore affects quick dispensation at the appellate level.”

Umoh further highlighted that most divisions lack the minimum of six justices, leading to delays in case hearings and resolutions. He emphasized the need for divisions with high case volumes, such as Abuja and Lagos, to have at least nine judges to facilitate simultaneous hearings.

He argued that the bill if passed, would enhance the quality and soundness of judicial decisions by increasing the number of judges involved in the adjudication process at the appellate level.

The bill has been approved for second reading and will undergo further scrutiny before being potentially passed into law.