Reps move to increase number of federal judges to reduce case delays

The House of Representatives has passed for a second reading a Bill seeking to amend the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Act to provide for an increase in the number of Judges in the FCT High Courts.

The Bill proposes an amendment to Section 1 of the extant Act to increase the maximum number of judges from the current cap of 70 to a minimum of 100, in a bid to tackle delays in the dispensation of justice.

The proposed legislation was sponsored by Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker, and co-sponsored by Babajimi Benson, Akin Rotimi, and five other lawmakers in the lower Chamber.

Leading the debate on its general principles, one of the co-sponsors Jonathan Gbefwi stated that the Bill seeks to address a fundamental aspect of the judiciary’s ability to deliver timely justice. He noted that the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory stands as a crucial pillar in Nigeria’s judicial framework, serving not only the residents of Abuja but also, in many respects, playing a pivotal role in cases of national importance.

He recalled that at the beginning of the 2022/2023 legal year, the FCT High Court carried forward 12,513 pending cases from the previous year, underscoring a substantial backlog and over the same period, the court assigned an additional 5,952 new cases, bringing the workload to a level that greatly strains available judicial resources.

He said that as it currently stands, the High Court of the FCT is limited in the number of judges it can engage, and this inadequacy significantly affects the rising volume and complexity of cases brought before it.

He expressed optimism that by increasing the number of Judges, this amendment is anticipated to reduce delays in case resolution, ensuring more efficient handling of cases, and consequently, enhancing public confidence in the judiciary.

“As it currently stands, the High Court of the FCT is limited in the number of judges it can engage. This inadequacy significantly affects the rising volume and complexity of cases brought before it. The court’s current judge complement, though dedicated, is insufficient to keep up with these caseloads. The considerable backlog, reflects the limitations faced by the court in addressing the high volume of cases, which is only anticipated to increase with Abuja’s population growth and economic development”, he explained.

“Given the rapid expansion of Abuja’s population, coupled with an
increasing caseload spanning various legal domains, the need for additional judges has become pressing. This amendment Bill is therefore introduced to address these systemic challenges by increasing the statutory number of judges for the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

“This amendment is crucial; it is no doubt a necessary intervention to uphold the principles of timely justice, judicial efficiency, and the rule of law in Nigeria”, he urged.

The Bill was thereafter put to a voice vote by the Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, it was passed for second reading and referred to the Committee on FCT Judiciary and constitution review for further legislative action.