Senate passes bill to increase Court of Appeals judges from 90 to 110

The Senate passed a bill to increase the number of judges on the Court of Appeals.

The Bill seeks to amend the Court of Appeal Act 2013 to increase the number of judges on the Court from 90 to 110.

Enugu Senator Chukwuka Utazi sponsored the legislation.

Passage of the bill followed adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Affairs.

Panel chairman Bamidele Opeyemi (APC, Ekiti), who presented the report, said the legislative intent of the amendment is to ensure that the court is adequately staffed to enable cooperation from all parties. court divisions.< /p>

The bill, he said, was designed to bring justice closer to litigants in line with the current reality of speeding up the administration of justice.

“This is necessary to eliminate delays in justice systems, in terms of the jurisdictional powers of the court,” he explained. "This proposed amendment aims to increase the Court's workload and improve its efficiency."

He also informed the Senate that the bill received unanimous support from relevant “stakeholders” present at the public hearing, particularly because of its strategic relevance to justice sector reform.

He further assured that the amendment would ultimately stimulate a speedy administration of justice

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Another improvement of the bill is that it aims to incorporate virtual court proceedings which have become an integral part of legal proceedings.

“This is also in line with the direction given to the courts by the Chief Justice of Nigeria that justice will no longer be delayed,” he said.

The Senate, in Committee of the Whole, considered the bill clause by clause, after which it was passed.

The bill will be sent to the House of Representatives for approval and subsequently forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for approval.

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