Tinubu Proposes Appointment Of 110 Justices Of Court of Appeal To Ease Caseloads

By Ardo Zubairu 

President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve a bill seeking to amend the Court of Appeal Act to increase the number of justices from 70 to 110, as part of reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s appellate justice system.

The request was conveyed in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and read at plenary on Tuesday.

According to Tinubu, the proposed amendments were intended to enhance the institutional capacity, efficiency and effectiveness of the Court of Appeal in line with constitutional provisions and emerging realities within the justice sector.

He said the central feature of the bill is the expansion of the court’s bench to cope with rising caseloads and operational pressures.

“The bill seeks to increase the number of justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110 and provide clarification of judicial structure and seniority,” Tinubu stated.

Tinubu explained that the legislation also seeks to restructure provisions relating to the ranking of justices of the Court of Appeal, including the position of the President of the Court and the determination of seniority among serving justices, just as it seeks to introduces measures to modernise appellate proceedings through the use of technology.

According to him, “The bill provides for the conduct of proceedings of the Court of Appeal through electronic and audio means, and the establishment of an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre,"

even as the proposed ADR Centre would operate within the Court of Appeal, allowing certain appellate matters to be referred for settlement.

“The bill seeks to establish an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre within the Court of Appeal, where appellate matters may be referred for settlement,” the President added.

He further noted that the amendment would improve professional efficiency and legal certainty in appellate practice, as the "bill also seeks to update terminology and definitions within the principal Act, including the recognition of virtual hearings and modern correctional nomenclature.

“It seeks to consolidate interpretative provisions to ensure clarity, consistency, and alignment with the current legal and institutional framework,” Tinubu added. 

The President said the reforms were timely, given the increasing pressure on the appellate justice system nationwide, adding that the proposed changes would help reduce delays, strengthen access to justice and reinforce public confidence in the judiciary.

Following the reading of the letter, Senate President Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.

The move comes against the backdrop of sustained concerns over workload pressures within Nigeria’s superior courts. Barely a year ago, the Senate considered a separate legislative proposal to expand the number of Supreme Court justices to 30 to address the mounting backlog of cases at the apex court.

That bill, sponsored by Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West), was anchored on concerns that the existing number of justices was inadequate despite the appointment of 11 justices in 2023, which filled the constitutional quota for the first time.

“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 had said.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has also written to the Senate seeking confirmation of the appointment of Justice Oyewole Kayode as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The request, read at plenary by Akpabio, was referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for consideration and report.

The confirmation request further underscores ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to ease capacity constraints and strengthen judicial delivery across Nigeria’s courts