[Late Justice Nweze] Luke Urges Appointment Of New Justices To Ease Supreme Court Workload

The immediate past Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary, Hon Onofiok Luke, has stressed the need to appoint new justices to the Supreme Court to lessen its workload.

This was as he mourned the demise of the Justice of the Supreme Court, Honourable Justice Centus Chima Nweze.

Luke, the Founding Partner, Meliora Law Partners, said Justice Nweze was very intelligent, cerebral, and fearless in the course of his judicial sojourn.

He said though the cause of his demise is yet to be determined, his untimely demise however once again brings to the fore the increased and ever-spending workload, and the stress the Justices of the Supreme Court are often exposed to.

The ex-lawmaker, who represented Etinan/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State, said cases linger in the Court even up to 20 years due to shortage of manpower as the court struggles to adjudicate matters from different parts of the country.

In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, he said, “I received with great sadness and shock the demise of Honourable Justice Centus Chima Nweze, Justice of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which sad event occurred on Sunday, 30 July, 2023.

“Justice Nweze was very intelligent, cerebral, and fearless in the course of his judicial sojourn; his scholarship and erudition are well discernible from the prodigious judicial judgements he delivered. I condole with his family, the Supreme Court, and the entire judicial and legal community over the loss of such a legal icon, especially at the time Nigeria needed him most.

“Though the cause of the demise of Hon. Justice Nweze is yet to be determined, his untimely demise however once again brings to the fore the increased and ever-spending workload, and the stress the Justices of the Supreme Court are often exposed to. It is worth emphasizing that the Supreme Court of Nigeria adjudicate over matters from different parts of the country. In view of its overstretched nature, some matters have lingered in the court for over 20 years. All reasonable efforts to limit matters that get to the court, as it is obtained in other climes, have proven abortive.

“More worrying is the fact that despite the overstretched nature of the Supreme Court, the court is yet to attain its full complement of 21 justices. Disturbingly, 2 Justices of the court will be retiring in a matter of months. This leaves the court terribly short-handed and unable to optimally perform its adjudicatory functions, and more importantly, execute its policy-setting goal. The situation is worsened given that this is post-election season, where the services of the court is often called upon.

“The effects of this unwholesome situation is unquantifiable. First, it slows the justice administration and delivery to the people. Second, it may reduce the quality of justice delivery to the people as the court lacks the needed and adequate manpower to thoroughly consider matters before it.

“It is imperative that the necessary stakeholders in Nigerian project intervene to serve the Judiciary, and indeed, the country. Judiciary is an important accompaniment to democracy, and anything that affects its smooth functioning, affects Nigeria. t

“It is in this vein that I plead with the President, His Excellency, President Asiwaju Tinubu, given its record as a democrat, to intervene and approve the appointment of new justices to the court to meet its full complement of 21 Justices. This will no doubt ease justice delivery and position the court to meet its core functions, and save the current Justices from unnecessary stress. “he added.