The Senate began legislative action on Tuesday to expand Nigeria’s federal judiciary, as lawmakers advanced two bills aimed at increasing the number of Federal High Court judges and Court of Appeal justices in response to rising case backlogs and delays in justice delivery.
The proposals, which passed second reading in plenary, were referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters for additional legislative review and are likely to return to the chamber within four weeks.
Leading debate on the first bill, which seeks to amend existing laws to increase the number of judges on the Federal High Court, Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele stated that the proposal was necessary due to the court’s expanding responsibilities and the increasing volume of cases before it.
He stated that the Federal High Court has exclusive jurisdiction over critical areas of the economy and governance, such as taxation, banking, aviation, telecommunications, anti-corruption trials, terrorism financing, oil and gas disputes, and election-related issues.
According to him, the increasing complexity of these industries has put immense strain on the court.
“Over the years, the volume of cases before the Federal High Court has increased exponentially. The expansion of economic activities, growth in commercial transactions, advancement in technology, the emergence of cybercrimes, increasing anti-corruption prosecutions, and the complexity of modern governance have significantly expanded the workload of the court,” he said.
Bamidele contended that the number of judges now granted by statute no longer represents the realities of the country’s justice system.
“The statutory number of judges has remained inadequate relative to the demands placed upon the court,” he stated.
He cautioned that a lack of court personnel had contributed to extended litigation and delays in justice.
He stated that the situation has resulted in “congestion of court dockets, prolonged delays in hearing and determination of cases, increased litigation costs to litigants, etc.”
After the debate, the Senate gave the bill a second reading.
The upper chamber also debated a separate bill aimed at amending the Court of Appeal Act to increase the appellate court’s capacity and modernize its operations.
Bamidele presented the idea, explaining that the legislation would raise the number of justices on the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110 and include provisions for virtual court sessions.
“A bill for an act to amend the Court of Appeal Act Cap C36 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 to, among other things, increase the number of justices of the Court of Appeal from seventy to one hundred and ten, provide for integration of virtual court proceedings, and for related matters, 2026, second reading taken,” he said.
Lawmakers noted that increasing the number of court officers, together with the use of technology-driven hearings, will assist in shortening delays in hearing appeals and improve access to justice countrywide.
The implementation of virtual hearings is also expected to align appellate court procedures with worldwide best practices while decreasing logistical issues connected with in-person court appearances.
Following debates, Senator Godswill Akpabio, president of the Senate, forwarded both measures to the Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters Committee for further consideration.
“Both bills are hereby referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters to report back to the Senate in four weeks,” Akpabio ruled.
If passed and signed into law, the legislation would represent one of the most major expansions of Nigeria’s federal judiciary in recent years.
Legal practitioners and stakeholders have long maintained that insufficient judicial staffing is a primary cause of delays in the resolution of business disputes, criminal trials, election petitions, and other matters before the courts.
Supporters of the proposed legislation think that the reforms will increase the efficiency of the judiciary, reduce case congestion, and boost public trust in the justice system.
The Senate’s action comes amid growing calls for reforms to guarantee that justice is delivered more quickly and effectively across the country. The legislation will now go through a thorough committee assessment before returning to the Senate for further consideration.
