COURT OF APPEAL HOLDS SPECIAL SITTING IN LAGOS, LISTS 260 APPEALS TO MARK GOLDEN JUBILEE
Aishat Momoh
The Court of Appeal on Monday held a special sitting in Lagos as part of activities marking its Golden Jubilee, listing 260 appeals for hearing in a strategic move aimed at decongesting dockets and accelerating the delivery of justice.
The special session was presided over by the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), **Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem**, who said the initiative was a deliberate response to the heavy volume of appeals pending at the Lagos Division.
Justice Dongban-Mensem noted that Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, accounts for a significant proportion of litigation nationwide, making it imperative for the appellate court to adopt innovative measures to address delays and improve efficiency.
She disclosed that 16 panels made up of 40 Justices drawn from various divisions of the Court of Appeal were constituted for the exercise. The panels are scheduled to sit throughout the week at both the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal and the National Industrial Court Complex.
According to her, the arrangement is designed to ensure optimal use of judicial resources while maximising the court’s capacity to clear pending appeals. She added that the exercise also exposes Justices from other divisions to the wide range of commercial and complex matters commonly handled in Lagos.
A total of 260 appeals have been listed for hearing, all of which, the PCA said, are ripe for determination. She urged counsel and litigants to ensure that their processes are in order to avoid unnecessary delays.
Reacting to the development, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, **Mr Ebunoluwa Adegboruwa**, who spoke on behalf of the Lagos Bar, commended the Court of Appeal for the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention in addressing long-standing delays in the appellate system.
Adegboruwa, who said he attended the opening ceremony of the special sitting, noted that litigants have for years demanded such an intervention, as some appeals have remained pending for as long as 10 to 20 years.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. Many cases have been pending simply because of the backlog and limited personnel. With 16 panels sitting and hundreds of appeals being taken in one week, the Lagos Bar is very grateful to the President of the Court of Appeal for this bold step,” he said.
While applauding the special sitting, the senior lawyer noted that the challenge of delayed justice goes beyond the number of panels constituted. He identified inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and an insufficient number of Justices as major factors affecting speedy hearing of appeals.
“The number of Justices handling appeals is grossly inadequate given our population growth, increased commercial activities, and the rising number of disputes. Law reforms to increase the number of Justices, improved funding, and better infrastructure are critical,” he added.
Adegboruwa assured the Court of Appeal of the cooperation of the Bar in ensuring that the exercise succeeds, stressing that unresolved cases often lead to public frustration and loss of confidence in the justice system.
“When cases are not heard, people become disenchanted and may resort to self-help. Clearing these backlogs will restore confidence in the judiciary and allow litigants to know their fate,” he said.
He further described the Golden Jubilee of the Court of Appeal as an opportunity to deepen access to justice, noting that as the intermediate court between the High Courts and the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal plays a critical role in the justice delivery chain.
“With the support of government, adequate funding, and the cooperation of the Bar, the next 50 years of the Court of Appeal can mark a milestone in the administration of justice in Nigeria, for the benefit of litigants and the entire society,” Adegboruwa said.
The special sitting forms part of activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Court of Appeal and underscores the judiciary’s commitment to efficiency, backlog reduction, and timely justice delivery.
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