‘Appeal Court no longer a dumping ground’

President of the Court of Appeal (PCA) Justice M. B. Dongban-Mensem has said the court will no longer be a dumping ground for those who seek to hamper justice delivery in Nigeria.

He stated this on Monday during the opening ceremony of the Court of Appeal annual working retreat in Lagos.

• Lagos: Court dissolves marriage over wife’s promiscuity
• $3.1b rail project: Court to hear suit against Ameachi, DG BPP Dec 14

Presently, the Court of Appeal is made up of 70 justices who are drawn from all the divisions of the court nationwide.

The purpose of the retreat, according to her, was to send out a public message that the Court of Appeal will no longer be a dumping ground for those who seek to hamper justice delivery in Nigeria, to empanel special sittings that will promote the collegiate spirit which the court is renowned for and to discuss the various aspects of their work, health and wellbeing of the justices.

She said the Lagos Division has continued to experience timeless delay in the hearing of appeals before it, largely due to the volume of appeals in its docket and the limited number of justices available to hear them.

“On assumption of office, I discovered that majority of these appeals had either been abandoned or purposely left to linger endlessly by mischievous and flippant actors in the litigation process.

“It is also regrettable to note that a good number of these appeals were filed with the aim of stalling the judicial process.

“This situation must certainly not be allowed to continue. We have come out to demonstrate our abhorrence by taking the bull by the horn,” the PCA said.