President Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate seeking amendments to existing laws to increase the number of judges in the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
The president, in two separate letters addressed to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and read on the Senate floor on Tuesday, January 27, requested amendments to the Federal High Court Act and the Court of Appeal Act.
Tinubu proposed an increase in the statutory number of judges of the Federal High Court from 70 to 90. He also sought to raise the number of justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110.
In the letter on the Federal High Court Act, Tinubu explained that Section 1(2) of the Act originally provided for a maximum of 50 judges before it was amended in 2005 to increase the number to 70, which remains the court’s current strength.
He said the proposed increase was necessary in view of the expanding responsibilities of the court. “It is noted that the court now bears a substantial and expanding responsibility for the prosecution of terrorism-related offences, transnational organised crimes and other matters touching directly on national security,” the president said.
According to him, increasing the number of judges from 70 to 90 would significantly improve the judge-to-case ratio and enhance the speed and quality of adjudication. He added that it would also allow for greater judicial specialisation in technically demanding areas such as terrorism, financial crimes, taxation, intellectual property and maritime law.
“In view of the foregoing, I hereby present the Federal High Court Amendment Bill 2025 and trust that the Senate will consider the passage of the bill expeditiously,” Tinubu said.
On the proposed amendment to the Court of Appeal Act, the president said the bill seeks to increase the number of justices from 70 to 110 and to clarify the court’s judicial structure and seniority.
He explained that the amendment would restructure provisions relating to the ranking of justices, including the position of the President of the Court of Appeal and the determination of seniority among justices.
Tinubu said the bill also proposes the modernisation of court proceedings through the introduction of virtual hearings. “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 (ADRC),” he said.
According to the president, the proposed ADRC would allow certain appellate matters to be referred for settlement, thereby improving efficiency in the justice delivery system.
READ ALSO : Ajaokuta steel company will never work – Dangote
He added that the amendments aim to enhance professional efficiency and legal certainty in appellate practice, align the court with contemporary legal standards, and update terminology and definitions to reflect modern judicial processes, including virtual hearings and current correctional nomenclature.
Tinubu said the proposed amendments were timely and necessary, noting that they would help address growing demands on the appellate justice system, reduce delays in the administration of justice, strengthen access to justice across the federation and reinforce public confidence in the judiciary.
Following the reading of the letters, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bills to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
Follow for more updated trending gist. and don't forget to follow all our social media pages.
Comments