President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the Senate’s approval for a bill seeking to amend the Court of Appeal Act to increase the number of justices from 70 to 110, in a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s appellate justice system.
The request was conveyed in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and read at plenary on Tuesday.
According to the President, the proposed amendment is designed to enhance the institutional capacity, efficiency and effectiveness of the Court of Appeal, in line with constitutional provisions and evolving realities within the justice sector.
Tinubu explained that the central objective of the bill is to expand the court’s bench to better manage the growing volume of cases and mounting operational pressures.
“The bill seeks to increase the number of justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110 and provide clarification of judicial structure and seniority,” the President stated.
He added that the proposed legislation would also restructure provisions relating to the ranking of justices, including the position of the President of the Court of Appeal and the determination of seniority among serving justices.
Beyond expanding the bench, Tinubu disclosed that the bill introduces measures to modernise appellate proceedings through the deployment of technology.
“The bill provides for the conduct of proceedings of the Court of Appeal through electronic and audio means, and the establishment of an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre,” he said.
According to the President, the proposed ADR Centre would operate within the Court of Appeal, allowing certain appellate matters to be referred for settlement, thereby reducing delays and easing the court’s workload.
The amendment also seeks to update terminology and definitions within the principal Act, including the formal recognition of virtual hearings and modern correctional nomenclature.
“It seeks to consolidate interpretative provisions to ensure clarity, consistency and alignment with the current legal and institutional framework,” Tinubu noted.
He stressed that the reforms are timely, given the increasing pressure on the appellate justice system nationwide, adding that the proposed changes would help reduce delays, improve access to justice and strengthen public confidence in the judiciary.
Following the reading of the letter, Senate President Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
The development comes amid sustained concerns over workload pressures in Nigeria’s superior courts. Less than a year ago, the Senate considered a separate bill to expand the number of Supreme Court justices to 30 in response to the mounting backlog of cases at the apex court.
That proposal, sponsored by Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West), was based on concerns that the existing number of justices was insufficient, despite the appointment of 11 justices in 2023, which filled the constitutional quota for the first time.
“Even with the full complement of 21 justices, the Supreme Court is overwhelmed. Some litigants are being given hearing dates as far ahead as 2027 and 2028,” Izunaso had said.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has also written to the Senate seeking confirmation of the appointment of Justice Oyewole Kayode as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The request, read at plenary by Akpabio, was referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for consideration and report.
The latest moves underscore ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to ease capacity constraints and strengthen judicial delivery across Nigeria’s courts.