The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, has called on judges to maintain credibility and remain unshaken to foster and promote public confidence in judgments from courts.
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He said it was only through the promotion of these values that the greatest heights in the legal profession could be achieved.
Malami, who spoke at the special session to mark the commencement of federal high court 2019/2020 legal year, Monday, called on judges to always remember in the course of the duties that “pivotal role played by the Federal High Court by virtue of section 251 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) makes this Court unique and distinct from other Courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
“In the light of its jurisdiction as noted in the Constitution above, I humbly urge this Court as part of the judicial arm of government, to remember that it is the anchor upon which our legitimate claim to a civilized society rests and revolves.
Meanwhile, the acting chief judge of the federation, Justice John Tsoho has implored relevant stakeholders in the country to appoint more judges to the federal high court, to alleviate the workload of judges.
Speaking at the occasion, yesterday, Tsoho said federal high court judges were overburdened with the workload in the outgone legal year, adding more judges needed to be appointed to ease their work schedule.
Reviewing the just ended legal year, Tsoho said 116,623 cases were pending at the high court, 16,144 filed in a quarter, while 12,692 were disposed of.
“It is pertinent at this juncture to highlight the stature of litigation before this court in the last legal year. From reports received, about 116,623 cases are pending in the federal high court. 16,144 cases were filed in this quarter alone in which 12,694 have been disposed of. Judges were overburdened with work in the last legal year. We, therefore, need to engage more judicial officers to help out.
“However, it does appear that there was no provision for appointment of judges in the current budget. I will make efforts to discuss with relevant stakeholders to see to the possibility of facilitating the recruitment of more judicial officers in the year.”
Tsoho said that the training of judges and staff of the judiciary to enhance professionalism was of paramount interest to the judicial authorities.
He said the judiciary will work with the legislature and the executive to entrench constitutionalism in the federal judiciary.
He disclosed that the federal high court now has amended federal high court (civil procedure rules 2019 which came into force on the 10th day of May 2019. “The new rules contain certain innovations to meet with the dynamism in law and to bring the court at par with other courts in the developed world. Some of these include an affidavit of no multiplicity of actions (Order 3 Rule 9(2)(d); a reinforced interpretation of the Territorial Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, such that no leave is required for service of process anywhere within the federation (Order 5 Rule 31).”
