The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has directed heads of courts across the country to put effective mechanisms in place to ensure that judges sit on time, promptly notify lawyers and litigants whenever court sittings are cancelled and ensure that everyone who comes before the courts is treated with dignity and respect.
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Kekere-Ekun also warned judges against forum shopping, concealment of related proceedings and the issuance of conflicting decisions by courts of coordinate jurisdiction, particularly as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
The CJN gave the directives while declaring open the 2026 Roundtable for Heads of Courts at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja, on Monday.
She said punctuality and proper communication with court users must not be treated as minor administrative concerns, stressing that they are practical demonstrations of the respect the Judiciary owes those it exists to serve.
According to her, punctuality “must be treated as a professional obligation, not a matter of personal preference.”
She charged heads of courts to establish clear sitting times, monitor compliance by judicial officers and address persistent or unjustified lateness through established supervisory and disciplinary procedures.
Kekere-Ekun described as unacceptable situations where lawyers and litigants travel long distances, sometimes at considerable expense, only to arrive at court and discover that the judge will not sit.
She therefore directed heads of courts to ensure that their registries establish dependable procedures for notifying affected parties whenever scheduled proceedings will not hold.
Such arrangements, she said, should clearly identify the officers responsible for communication, the channels through which notifications will be sent and a method for confirming that lawyers and litigants have actually received the information.
Turning to courtroom conduct, the CJN said judicial authority is best exercised with “fairness, composure and respect.”
She stressed that every litigant deserves dignity regardless of social status, financial means or educational background, while lawyers appearing before the courts are equally entitled to courteous treatment.
According to her, firmness and courtesy “are entirely compatible,” as a judge can effectively control proceedings without humiliating counsel or litigants.
With preparations for the 2027 elections gathering momentum, Kekere-Ekun urged heads of courts to remain especially vigilant against attempts by litigants to manipulate the judicial process through forum shopping and the concealment of related cases.
She warned against efforts to secure conflicting orders from different courts of coordinate jurisdiction, saying such practices undermine consistency in judicial decision-making and expose the Judiciary to unnecessary public controversy.
The CJN said judges must carefully scrutinise applications brought before them, insist on full and frank disclosure by litigants and resist attempts to use urgent applications or ex parte orders to obtain improper advantages.
She stressed that political sensitivity, public sentiment or the urgency attached to a matter must never replace the careful application of the Constitution, the Electoral Act and applicable rules of court.
Election-related cases, she said, must be handled “competently, expeditiously and strictly in accordance with the law.”
Kekere-Ekun also addressed delays in the administration of justice, describing the timely determination of cases as one of the Judiciary’s most pressing challenges.
She said prolonged litigation imposes financial and emotional burdens on litigants and weakens public confidence in the judicial system.
While acknowledging that some delays are caused by inadequate funding, infrastructure and manpower, the CJN said others arise from inefficient docket management, repeated adjournments, poor scheduling and the failure to monitor inactive cases.
She said every head of court should have a clear understanding of the state of cases within the jurisdiction, including the number of pending matters, how long they have remained unresolved and the reasons for delays.
Kekere-Ekun, however, cautioned against measuring judicial efficiency solely by the number of cases disposed of, stressing that the constitutional right to fair hearing must remain fully protected.
On judicial appointments, the CJN urged heads of courts to “strongly and courageously” resist external pressures.
She said the process of selecting judicial officers must remain fair, transparent and based on merit, with competence, character and suitability serving as the principal considerations.
Kekere-Ekun also disclosed that the Supreme Court commenced implementation of the Nigerian Case Management System on July 1, 2026.
According to her, the system has also been adopted by the High Courts of Borno, Bayelsa, Delta, Niger, Taraba and Ebonyi states, as well as the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court.
She encouraged heads of courts whose jurisdictions have yet to adopt the system to identify the obstacles preventing implementation and take practical steps towards joining the digital platform.
The CJN stressed, however, that technology alone would not transform the justice system.
She called for proper implementation plans, continuous training for court staff, effective supervision and adequate safeguards for judicial records.
Kekere-Ekun also emphasised the importance of cybersecurity as courts increasingly depend on technology for case management and judicial administration.
On the growing use of artificial intelligence, the CJN warned judicial officers that responsibility for judicial decisions cannot be transferred to technological tools.
She said judges “must retain independent responsibility for their decisions” and ensure that any use of artificial intelligence complies with the law, professional ethics and the requirements of procedural fairness.
The CJN further called for sustained investment in court personnel, including registrars, researchers, administrative officers and information technology personnel, noting that an effective judiciary depends not only on judges but also on competent support staff.
She urged all jurisdictions to establish structured mentorship programmes under which newly appointed judges would be attached to experienced judicial officers for a defined period before beginning to sit independently.
Kekere-Ekun also directed heads of courts to ensure that judicial institutions remain professional workplaces free from bullying and harassment.
She urged participants at the Roundtable to leave with clear and implementable priorities covering case management, punctuality, communication with litigants and lawyers, respectful courtroom conduct, digital transformation, judicial welfare and professional discipline.
According to the CJN, the effectiveness of judicial reforms should not be determined merely by the number of directives issued.
Progress, she said, should be judged “not merely by the directives issued, but by the changes those directives produce in the daily operation of the courts.”
In his welcome address, the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, said the Judiciary, as the custodian of justice and guardian of the Rule of Law, remained under constant public scrutiny.
He said the situation placed a heavy responsibility on those responsible for managing the courts to protect the institution’s image and help shape positive public perceptions of the justice system.
Adejumo said the annual Roundtable was designed to provide heads of courts with an opportunity for candid discussions, identification of common challenges and the development of collective solutions.
He explained that the programme was deliberately structured with minimal external intervention to enable heads of courts themselves to direct discussions and determine the outcomes.
The NJI Administrator also commended the CJN for reforms which, according to him, had strengthened judicial independence and enhanced integrity at different levels of the Judiciary.
He further expressed appreciation to the Education Committee of the NJI Board of Governors, chaired by Justice John Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court, as well as the session managers and facilitators participating in the programme.
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