High Court Faces 144, 910 Cases In New Legal Year

By Garry Ochigbo

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice John Tsoho says his Court will battle with 144, 910 pending cases in the new legal year of the Court.

The Court in the last legal year had 15, 025 filed before it by litigants out of which 12, 870 were effectively disposed off leaving a balance of 2, 155 cases still on ground.

At the opening of the Legal Year of the Court in Abuja on Monday, the Chief Judge explained that the court had a carry over of 142, 755 from 2021 to 2022 legal year adding that in 2023 legal year alone, 15, 025 fresh cases were filed by various categories of litigants.

He noted that the Court would be going into the new legal year with the 144, 910 suits but expressed optimism that with his brother Judges they would rise up to the challenges of disposing off the cases as quickly as possible.

The breakdown of the carried over cases showed that 42, 784 are civil cases, 36, 061 criminal matters, 41, 447 are motions while 24, 618 are Fundermental Rights Enforcement suits.

Justice Tsoho who put the current number of Judges on the bench of the Court at 95, thanked them on the speedy ways pre-election cases of the 2023 general election were handled within the time allowed by law.

He however, tasked them to stand steadfast and continue to dispense justice without fear or favour adding that their being Judges is by destiny and not accident.

While reminding the Judges that their actions would shape the destiny of the Court and the Nigerian nation, the Chief Judge asked them to strive to work beyond suspicion.

The Chief Judge spoke on the 50th years existence of the Court adding that the court took off in Lagos with one Court and five Judges.

The Chief Judge thanked the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola for his humility and ready disposition to proffer solutions to challenges.

He also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Judicial Council NJC for their unyielding support and understanding and assured that the court would perform better in the new legal year.

Edited By Grace Namiji