20,254 CASES PENDING IN FEDERAL HIGH COURTS – CHIEF JUDGE

About 20,254 cases are still pending in the various federal high courts in Nigeria at the close of the preceding legal year of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, even with many more being filed.
Justice Ibrahim Ndahi Auta, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria dropped the startling hint, Monday in an address he presented on the occasion of the Special Court Session to mark the commencement of the FHC Legal Year 2014/2015 held in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
The Chief Judge disclosed that the federal high court had a total of 23,470 cases to handle from October 2013 to September 2014, with only 3,216 disposed during the period.
According to him, the record from the litigation department showed that, at the end of the 3rd quarter of 2013, a total of 20,106 cases were brought forward from the preceding year, 2,524 cases filed within the legal year, while only 1,121 were concluded.
He added that a total of 19,458 cases were brought forward from 2013; 4,012 cases filed within the 2013/2014 legal year and 3,216 cases where disposed off.
Justice Auta stated that the baffling statistics of pending cases underscored the necessity to engage more judges, stressing that in doing tha,t it must be ensured that no state is short-changed and only the best are recruited.
In his speech, Imo State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Chukwuma Machukwu Umeh, observed that the FHC had come a long way, despite daunting challenges and assured the judges that the state would be ready to answer their call any time.
He announced that Imo State government has accepted his recommendation on the First Line Charge for the Judiciary from the Consolidated Revenue of the state, adding that the 2015 state budget will be exemplary among the 36 states of the federation.
The body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, in their speech thanked the Federal High Court for the commissioning of the Owerri Federal High Court Complex and urged them to continue in improving courts to ensure effective and efficient delivery of justice.
The body, represented by Chief Mike Ahamba, SAN, frowned at the flagrant disrespect for court orders in the country, recalling that judges suffered a great deal to write and read judgement by long hand.
Source: Nigerian Pilot