The Court of Appeal in Lagos on Monday began a special sitting, listing 360 cases for hearing to boost efficiency and reduce the growing backlog of cases across its divisions.
The President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Monica Dongban-Mensem, said the session was part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the appellate court.
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She said the initiative underscored the judiciary’s commitment to timely justice delivery and enhanced institutional efficiency.
Mrs Dongban-Mensem said the exercise was a deliberate step to address docket congestion, particularly at the Lagos division.
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She said that Lagos, as the nation’s commercial hub, generated heavy litigation, making it necessary for the court to adopt innovative measures to decongest dockets and ensure timely justice delivery.
According to her, the special sitting also provides justices from other divisions with the opportunity to gain exposure to the diverse range of cases typically handled by the Lagos division.
She said that, for the exercise, the court constituted 16 panels comprising 40 justices drawn from various divisions of the court of appeal.
The judge said the panels would sit for one week, with some sessions held at the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal and others at the National Industrial Court Complex.
Mrs Dongban-Mensem said the arrangement was designed to ensure optimal utilisation of available judicial facilities and resources, while maximising the court’s capacity to dispense justice efficiently.
She thanked the Lagos division for accommodating visiting justices with court facilities and housing, describing the gesture as a reflection of collective goodwill and cooperation within the Court of Appeal.
“We are grateful for the benevolence extended to us, and we hope the court will soon be able to extend similar goodwill to other institutions,” she said.
The court of appeal president further disclosed that a total of 26 appeals had been listed for hearing before the 16 panels constituted for the special sitting, stressing that all the appeals were ripe for hearing.
She urged counsel and parties to fully utilise the exercise by ensuring their processes were properly prepared and free of defects that could delay proceedings.
“We expect counsel to carefully review their processes before coming to court.
“If anything in your process could delay the hearing of an appeal, please take steps to remove it,” Mrs Dongban-Mensem said.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria,Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, praised the Court of Appeal justices for the initiative to reduce the state’s growing case backlog.
Mr Adegboruwa spoke on behalf of the Bar at the commencement of the special session.
The senior advocate described the sitting as historic and commended the initiative of the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Mrs Dongban-Mensem.
“It is an auspicious event, a rare and unprecedented opportunity for us within the Lagos Bar to be blessed with an array of wise and learned justices from the various divisions of the court of appeal,” he said.
Mr Adegboruwa assured the court of the cooperation of lawyers to ensure speedy and expeditious hearings of pending appeals.
“We, on behalf of the Bar, assure My Lords of our readiness to facilitate a swift hearing of all pending cases. It is in our interest and that of our clients,” he stated.
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He further congratulated the court of appeal on its golden jubilee, noting its contributions to the administration of justice in Nigeria.
“We congratulate the Court of Appeal for contributing immensely to the administration of justice in our nation –past, present, and future,” he said.
However, the senior lawyer drew attention to the funding and infrastructure challenges facing the judiciary, urging the federal government to provide improved financial support.
“The Bar will continue to work with the judiciary to ensure that this important arm of government is well funded,” he said.
He expressed optimism that ongoing efforts to improve facilities at the Lagos division would be realised.
(NAN)
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