Senate Considers Bill Seeking To Increase Supreme Court Justices

The Nigerian Senate is currently reviewing a legislative proposal to expand the Supreme Court’s justices from 21 to 30, aiming to tackle the increasing backlog of cases and enhance the efficiency of justice delivery.

During a press briefing in Abuja to commemorate his second year in the 10th National Assembly, Senator Osita Izunaso, representing Imo West, revealed the initiative.

He stated that despite the Supreme Court recently achieving its constitutional limit of 21 justices with the addition of 11 new justices in 2023, this number remains inadequate to address the court’s rising workload.

“Even with the full complement of 21 justices, the Supreme Court is overwhelmed,” Izunaso said. “The volume of cases reaching the court daily is alarming. Some litigants are being given hearing dates as far ahead as 2027 and 2028.”

The senator elaborated that increasing the number of justices would allow the court to convene more panels, thus speeding up case hearings. “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 said.

Izunaso also pushed for reforms to restrict the types of cases that reach the apex court. He expressed concern over why relatively minor issues, such as land disputes or tenancy matters, are permitted to escalate to the highest judicial level.

“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 apex court should be reserved for cases of national or constitutional importance — terrorism, homicide, grand corruption.”

He highlighted instances of tenancy and family disputes reaching the Supreme Court, calling this trend a systemic flaw that burdens the judiciary and delays justice in more critical cases. He mentioned a case resolved by families of deceased litigants but still scheduled for a Supreme Court hearing in 2026.

While dismissing the idea of creating regional supreme courts, Izunaso emphasized the need for a single, centralized apex court to preserve the unity and integrity of Nigeria’s judicial system. “What we need is better filtration at a lower level, not more supreme courts,” he said. Music concert tickets
The senator further noted that the red chamber is evaluating a bill for the establishment of Anim State in the South-East geopolitical zone, which has advanced past its second reading and is now under consideration by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli