The Nigerian Senate has passed two bills seeking to increase the number of judges in the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal. The bills, which were passed on Wednesday, aim to address the growing backlog of cases and improve the efficiency of the judiciary.
Federal High Court Judges Increase
One of the bills proposes an increase in the number of judges of the Federal High Court from the current 80 to 100. The bill, titled "Federal High Court Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025," was sponsored by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters. According to the committee, the increase is necessary to cope with the rising volume of cases.
Court of Appeal Judges Expansion
The second bill seeks to raise the number of justices of the Court of Appeal from 90 to 110. The "Court of Appeal Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025" was also sponsored by the same committee. The Senate noted that the expansion would help reduce the time it takes for appeals to be heard and decided.
Senator Bamidele Opeyemi, the Senate Leader, emphasized that the bills are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the judiciary. He stated that the increase in judicial officers would lead to faster dispensation of justice and reduce the burden on existing judges.
The bills were passed after a clause-by-clause consideration by the Committee of the Whole. They will now be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being sent to the President for assent.
Stakeholders in the legal community have welcomed the development, describing it as a positive step towards judicial reform. However, some have called for better funding and infrastructure to support the additional judges.
