The Nigerian Senate may soon be considering a legislative proposal that would increase the number of Supreme Court Justices from the current 21 to 30 in a bid to tackle the mounting backlog of cases and improve the efficiency of the apex court.
This was disclosed by Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West), during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday to mark his two years in the 10th National Assembly.
Izunaso who is sponsoring the bill, argued that the current number of justices is inadequate, despite the recent appointment of 11 justices in 2023 that finally filled the constitutional quota for the first time in Nigeria’s history.
“Even with the full complement of 21 justices, the Supreme Court is overwhelmed. The volume of cases reaching the court daily is alarming. Some litigants are being given hearing dates as far ahead as 2027 and 2028,” Izunaso stated.
The Senator stated that the proposed legislation would enable the apex court to form more panels to expedite the adjudication process, saying “Supreme Court justices typically sit in panels of five, or seven for constitutional matters. If we have 30 justices, it allows the formation of at least five panels simultaneously. That way, more cases can be handled at a faster pace”.
He also advocated a major reform in the type of cases the Supreme Court entertains, calling for an end to what he described as the “judicial congestion caused by trivial matters.”
The senator questioned the rationale behind allowing cases such as land disputes, tenancy disagreements, and divorce battles to reach the highest court in the land.
“Why should a land matter in my village end up in the Supreme Court?” he asked.
“Many of these issues should start from the Customary Court and end at the High Court. The people at those levels understand the context better. The apex court should be reserved for cases of national or constitutional importance, things like terrorism, homicide, and grand corruption.”
