The Nigerian Senate is considering a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court Justices from 21 to 30 to address the growing backlog of cases and improve the court’s efficiency. Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West), who is sponsoring the bill, stated that despite the 2023 appointment of 11 justices filling the constitutional quota, the court remains overwhelmed, with some cases scheduled for hearing as late as 2027 and 2028.
Izunaso explained that increasing the bench to 30 justices would allow the Supreme Court to form at least five panels simultaneously, speeding up case adjudication. Currently, justices sit in panels of five or seven for constitutional matters.
Beyond increasing the number of justices, Izunaso advocates restricting the types of cases the Supreme Court entertains. He criticized the
apex court’s involvement in minor disputes such as land, tenancy, and divorce cases, arguing these should be handled by customary and high courts. He emphasized that the Supreme Court should focus on matters of national or constitutional importance like terrorism, homicide, and grand corruption to reduce “judicial congestion”Izunaso also rejected proposals for regional Supreme Courts, insisting on maintaining a single national Supreme Court to preserve judicial unity, with better case filtration at lower courts instead
Separately, Izunaso praised President Bola Tinubu for posthumously honoring the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission, with the Commander of the Order of the Niger, and urged naming INEC’s national headquarters after him
This legislative move reflects ongoing concerns about the Supreme Court’s workload and the need for judicial reforms to expedite justice delivery in Nigeria
