President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken a decisive step to recalibrate Nigeria’s appellate justice architecture, proposing a significant expansion of the Court of Appeal bench from 70 to 110 justices.
The proposal, contained in a bill transmitted to the Senate, was formally read at plenary on Tuesday following a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. It represents a strategic intervention aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and responding to mounting pressures within the justice sector.
According to the President, the amendment to the Court of Appeal Act is designed to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and overall service delivery at the intermediate appellate level, in line with constitutional provisions and present-day realities.
At the core of the bill is the expansion of the number of justices to address the rising caseload and operational bottlenecks confronting the court. Tinubu noted that the legislation would also clarify issues relating to judicial structure and seniority, including the ranking of justices and the position of the President of the Court of Appeal.
Beyond numbers, the proposed reforms signal a forward-looking shift towards modern judicial administration. The bill provides for the conduct of appellate proceedings through electronic and audio means, formally recognising virtual hearings as part of the court’s processes.
In a notable departure from long-standing practice, the amendment also seeks to establish an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre within the Court of Appeal. This, the President explained, would allow certain appellate matters to be referred for settlement, easing the court’s workload and promoting quicker dispute resolution.
The legislation further updates terminology and definitions in the principal Act to reflect modern correctional nomenclature and contemporary legal practice. It also aims to consolidate interpretative provisions to ensure clarity, consistency and alignment with Nigeria’s current legal and institutional framework.
Tinubu described the reforms as timely, stressing that they would help reduce delays, strengthen access to justice and restore public confidence in the judiciary, a critical pillar of democratic governance.
Following the reading of the President’s letter, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for legislative processing.
The move comes amid sustained concern over workload pressures across Nigeria’s superior courts. Only last year, the Senate debated a separate proposal to increase the number of Supreme Court justices to cope with a growing backlog of cases at the apex court.
That proposal was anchored on the argument that even with the constitutionally permitted complement of 21 justices, the Supreme Court remains overstretched, with some litigants reportedly receiving hearing dates several years ahead.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has also asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of Justice Oyewole Kayode as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The request has been referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
Taken together, the initiatives underscore a deliberate policy thrust by the Federal Government to modernise judicial delivery, address systemic capacity gaps and reposition the courts to meet the demands of a growing and increasingly complex legal environment.
