Reps okay bill to raise number of Appeal Court justices to 150

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed for second reading a bill seeking to increase the number of the Court of Appeal justices from 90 to 150.

The bill, sponsored by Onofiok Luke was titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the Court of Appeal Act, Cap. C36, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Increase the Number of Justices of the Court and Provide for Appointment of a Minimum of Six Justices in every Judicial Division of the Court for Speedy and Efficient Justice Delivery and to Improve Citizens’ Access to Justice; and for Related Matters.’

It seeks to amend Section 1 of the Principal Act by inserting a new subsection 2 to give power to the president of the court to create new division of the court depending on some peculiar situations.

Luke said the current number of High Courts judges was highly inadequate causing the delay in attending to cases and affecting quick dispensation of justice by the courts.