By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja.
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice John Tsoho has revealed that his Court will battle with a mountain of 144,910 pending cases in new legal year of the Court.
The Court in the last legal year had 15,025 filed before it by litigants out of which 12,870 were effectively disposed off leaving a balance of 2, 155 cases still on ground.
At the opening of the Legal Year of the Court in Abuja on Monday, the Chief Judge explained that the court had a carried over of 142,755 from 2021 to 2022 legal year adding that in 2023 legal year alone, 15, 025 fresh cases were filed by various categories of litigants.
Justice Tsoho noted that the Court would be going into the new legal year with the 144,910 suits but expressed optimism that he and his brother Judges would rise up to the challenges of disposing off the cases as quickly as possible.
The breakdown of the carried over cases showed that 42,784 are civil cases, 36, 061 criminal matters; 41, 447 are motions while 24,618 are Fundamental Rights Enforcement suits.
Justice Tsoho who put the current number of Judges on the bench of the Court at 95, thanked them on the speedy ways pre-election cases of the 2023; general elections were handled within the time allowed by law.
He however, tasked them to stand steadfast and continue to dispense justice without fear or favour adding that their being Judges is by destiny and not accident.
While reminding the Judges that their actions would shape the destiny of the Court and the Nigerian nation, the Chief Judge asked them to strive to be beyond suspicion.
“We must dispense justice with integrity and without bias, we must display utmost competence and courage as well as dispose cases speedily.”
“The Federal High Court will surely rise to the challenges of the future with the same tenacity and commitment that have defined its path thus far.”, he assured.
The Chief Judge spoke on the 50th years existence of the Court adding that the court took off in Lagos with one Court and five Judges.
Today, he said that the court now has 38 Judicial Divisions and 95 Judges adding that the court has recorded huge growth and has become a significant pillar in the hierarchy of the Nigerian Judiciary.
The Chief Judge thanked the Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola for his humility and ready disposition to proffer solutions to challenges.
He also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Judicial Council NJC for their unyielding support and understanding and assured that the court would perform better in the new legal year.
