We are overburdened, CJN laments,  asks Senate to amend Supreme Court Act 

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We are overburdened, CJN laments,  asks Senate to amend Supreme Court Act 

TWO senior judicial officers have expressed strong reservations over the working conditions in the nation’s judiciary.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad and the president of the Court of Appeal, Zainab Bulkachuwa, at separate sessions with the Senate Committee on Judiciary, sought the intervention of the Senate to arrest the unsavoury development in the third arm of government.

Addressing members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, led by their chairman, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, during a courtesy visit, Justice Muhammad pleaded with the Senate to amend the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court as contained in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) so that not all appeal cases would terminate at the apex court.

Justice Muhammad told Senator Opeyemi and his team that the number of cases pending before the Supreme Court was overwhelming and taking a toll on the health of the justices.

The CJN said the amendment became compelling for timely dispensation of justice and to reduce the burden of pending appeals on the justices of the apex court.

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He said: “Many of us don’t sleep for 12 hours as recommended by stress managers. We don’t write judgment merely by stating that so, so, so and so cases were filed by this and that, and end it up by saying appeal is hereby dismissed or upheld. We have to give reasons, which is the bedrock of judgment writing.

“The Nigerian judiciary is one of the best in the world, and if nobody tells you, I am telling you today.

“The constitution enjoins the Supreme Court to have 21 justices, yet we are having less than that number. We will have to appoint more justices to fill the gap soon.”

The CJN also expressed his dissatisfaction with the annual budget of the judiciary which he described as grossly inadequate.

“If you see the amount allocated to the judiciary, it is far less than what is given to some ministries. Salaries of the judicial officers are also stale for over 12 years running, and I hope you will look at all that,” he said.

In his response, Senator Bamidele said the Senate Standing Orders 2015 and the 1999 Constitution empowered his committee to oversee the federal judiciary.

He noted that the committee’s visit was to keep faith with the tradition of showing deference to the CJN as the head of the judicial arm of the government.

“We are here today to keep faith with the time-honoured tradition of the committee,” he said, noting that all the 14 members of the committee were lawyers with their names in the legal practitioners’ roll of the Supreme Court.

He said the visit was  to interact and familiarise themselves with the CJN in order to find out the progress made by the judiciary so far as well as the challenges facing it.

“This, no doubt, would enable us to make appropriate legislative interventions in times ahead for the betterment of the judiciary,” Senator Bamidele said.

While acknowledging the pivotal role of the judiciary in the sustenance and deepening of democratic core values, he assured the CJN that his committee would make necessary interventions to strengthen and guarantee the independence of the judiciary.

“The committee will work in collaboration with the judiciary to review laws and embark on reforms – including amendment to the constitution – to ensure effective and efficient administration of justice,” he said.

At a separate meeting with president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, she equally called the attention of the senators to what she called poor funding of the judiciary.

According to her, most of the buildings at the 16 divisions of the Court of Appeal were in deplorable states.

Senator Bamidele also assured the president of the Court of Appeal that his committee would ensure the review of the judges’ salaries and change the narrative regarding the funding of the judiciary.

We are overburdened, CJN laments,  asks Senate to amend Supreme Court Act 
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