Case Decongestion: Appeal Court deploys 40 Justices to Lagos to clear backlog of 360 cases

In an unprecedented move to tackle mounting delays in Nigeria’s appellate system, the Court of Appeal has deployed 40 justices to Lagos for a special sitting aimed at clearing a backlog of appeals, with 360 cases listed for hearing before 16 panels.

A special session, which began on Monday, as part of activities marking the Court of Appeal’s 50th anniversary and reflects what the court described as a deliberate and sustained effort to improve efficiency in the administration of justice.

Presiding over the session, the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, said Lagos—Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre—generates an unusually heavy volume of litigation, making proactive intervention necessary to ease congestion and reduce prolonged delays.

According to her, the 16 panels were constituted from justices drawn from different divisions of the Court of Appeal across the country. The panels will sit throughout the week at both the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal and the National Industrial Court Complex.

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Justice Dongban-Mensem noted that the exercise required significant institutional sacrifice, as several divisions across the country were left with reduced judicial strength to ensure the success of the Lagos sitting. She urged legal practitioners to treat the exercise with seriousness and ensure that all appeals scheduled for hearing were fully prepared.

Recalling a previous special sitting where several cases could not proceed due to poor preparation by counsel, the PCA warned against unnecessary delays, stressing that the exercise was strictly for work and not a ceremonial or leisure engagement.

“This sitting is not a vacation. It is a deliberate effort to work,” she said, urging lawyers to carefully review their court processes and eliminate any defects capable of stalling proceedings.

Justice Dongban-Mensem also commended the Lagos State Government, particularly the Office of the Attorney-General, for providing critical logistical support, noting that the court’s limited resources would not have been sufficient to accommodate the large number of justices deployed for the exercise.

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She further acknowledged the National Industrial Court for making available courtroom facilities and residential accommodation for the visiting justices, describing the collaboration as a reflection of collective goodwill within the judiciary.

Beyond case management, the PCA cautioned against actions capable of eroding public confidence in the justice system, warning that loss of faith in the judiciary could fuel lawlessness and undermine the rule of law.

Speaking on behalf of the Bar, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, described the special sitting as historic and unprecedented for the Lagos Bar. He assured the court of the Bar’s full cooperation to ensure speedy and efficient hearings, noting that the exercise was in the best interest of both legal practitioners and litigants.

Adegboruwa also congratulated the Court of Appeal on its golden jubilee, highlighting persistent funding and infrastructure challenges facing the judiciary, and pledged continued collaboration between the Bar and the Bench to strengthen Nigeria’s justice system.