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The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, on Monday, decried as worrisome, the high volume of cases pending before the court.
Justice Tsoho disclosed that currently, a total of 155, 969 cases are awaiting the attention of judges of the court.
Speaking at a special session that was held to flag-off the 2024/2025 legal year of the court, the CJ bemoaned that the case files kept rising, despite innovative ideas and manpower development strategies that were introduced to enhance effective justice delivery in various divisions of the court across the federation.
“We have strengthened our collaboration with other Justice sector institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Legal Aid Council, and the National Judicial Institute. These partnerships have fostered a coordinated holistic approach to justice delivery.
“Despite these achievements, we still face challenges that require our unwavering attention.
“The high volume of cases filed in our courts remain a great concern. We must continue to explore innovative approaches to case management and encourage the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to address this challenge,” Justice Tsoho stated.
According to him, at the beginning of the 2023/2024 legal year which ends in July, a total of 152, 469 cases were pending and carried over from the previous legal year.
“Within the legal year under review, a total of 13, 648 cases were filed and 10, 148 were disposed of, leaving 155, 969 cases pending, which have been carried over to the current legal year.
“These figures represent Civil- 43, 030; Criminal- 41, 335; Fundamental Rights Enforcement- 28, 760 and AMCON cases, as well as Petitions and Motions together- 42, 844.
“From the foregoing, it is apparent that we have done well in the face of our enormous jurisdictions; notwithstanding that eight of our judges were elevated to the Court of Appeal Bench within the period under review,” the CJ added.
Emphasizing that adequate funding is crucial to the effective functioning of the judiciary, Justice Tsoho urged judges of the court to rededicate themselves for greater performance in the days ahead.
He said: “As we navigate the challenges confronting the judiciary and the Federal High Court in particular, it is imperative that we adhere to best practices in justice delivery.
“Judges must maintain the highest standards of impartiality and fairness in all their judicial functions. Decisions must be based solely on the law and the evidence presented, without fear or favour.
“We must strive to resolve cases expeditiously while ensuring that justice is not compromised. Delays in the administration of justice erode public confidence and undermine the rule of law.
“The judiciary must be transparent and accountable in all its operations. This includes providing access to court records and information, and ensuring that Judicial processes are open and accessible to the public on application.
“The protection and promotion of human rights are fundamental to the administration of Justice.
“Judges must be vigilant in safeguarding the rights of all individuals, regardless of their background or status.”
Meanwhile, the CJ took the opportunity to deprecate what he termed as virulent media attacks against judges and their decisions, by those he described as failed lawyers and litigants.
“A situation where the legally recognized means of challenging court decisions is being increasingly sidelined in favour of approach by mob-mentality is dangerous and worrisome.
“It is very sad that certain lawyers, with a few senior lawyers among them, have willingly offered themselves as errand boys to some politicians to malign judges. They secretly seek to influence judges, but hypocritically turn around to condemn judges, when their clandestine overtures to judges are rebuffed.
“The ugly trend must be halted, if the judiciary is to survive. At this juncture, we call on the Nigerian Bar Association to scrutinize its ranks and uproot the misfits, who are causing incalculable damage to the legal profession,” the CJ added.
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