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Two bills proposing an increase in the number of judges in Nigeria’s High Courts have passed their second reading in the Senate, the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
According to Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who sponsored the bills, they seek to accelerate the dispensation of justice nationwide and strengthen Nigeria’s judicial system by enhancing its capacity to handle the growing caseload.
The bills, which passed second reading on Wednesday, propose increasing the number of judges of the Nigerian High Courts from 70 to 90 and the number of Justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110.
Bamidele explained that no democracy can thrive where citizens and institutions are unable to obtain prompt judicial determination of disputes.
He also noted that the judiciary must be adequately equipped with the human and material resources necessary to effectively perform its constitutional responsibilities.
The senator argued that increasing the number of judges in Nigeria’s superior courts is necessary to reduce the backlog of pending cases, improve access to justice through timely hearings and judgments, and enhance the prosecution of corruption and financial crimes.
He further noted that the increment would also support faster resolution of commercial disputes while strengthening adjudication in specialised sectors such as banking, telecommunications, maritime affairs, aviation, and intellectual property.
The Senate referred the consolidated bills to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative work.
The committee is expected to report back to the Senate within four weeks.
