In a landmark judicial initiative, the Court of Appeal has commenced a special sitting in Lagos, deploying 40 justices to tackle a backlog of 360 appeals in a concerted effort to boost efficiency and reduce prolonged delays in the appellate system. The move comes as part of activities marking the court’s 50th anniversary and reflects a strategic intervention to address docket congestion, particularly in Nigeria’s commercial hub.
The special session began on Monday, January 19, 2026, with 16 panels constituted from justices drawn from various divisions across the country. Panels will sit over the course of the week at both the Court of Appeal’s Lagos Division and the National Industrial Court Complex to maximize hearing capacity and ensure timely justice delivery.
Presiding over the session, President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem, described the initiative as a deliberate and sustained effort to alleviate the persistent backlog of appeals and enhance institutional efficiency. She highlighted Lagos’s heavy appellate workload, as the nation’s commercial nerve centre generates one of the largest volumes of litigation in the country.
“Lagos accounts for a significant portion of litigation nationwide. It is both timely and necessary for the court to adopt innovative measures to ensure the prompt delivery of justice,” the PCA said in remarks at the opening session.
Justice Dongban-Mensem acknowledged the sacrifices made by divisions across the federation, as many were left with reduced judicial strength to facilitate the Lagos exercise. She urged legal practitioners to treat the special sitting with seriousness, warning that lack of preparation — which stalled hearings at a previous special session — would not be tolerated.
“This sitting is not a vacation. It is a deliberate effort to work,” she stressed, imploring counsel and parties to ensure all processes are properly reviewed and free of defects that could delay proceedings.
Justice Dongban-Mensem also commended the Lagos State Government, particularly the Office of the Attorney-General, for logistical support that enabled accommodation and facility provisions necessary for the 40 visiting justices. She additionally thanked the National Industrial Court for making courtrooms and residential facilities available — a demonstration of inter-institutional cooperation.
Speaking on behalf of the Bar, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa described the special sitting as historic and unprecedented for the Lagos legal community. He assured the court of the Bar’s full cooperation to ensure efficient and speedy hearings, acknowledging the exercise as beneficial to both practitioners and litigants.
Adegboruwa also used the occasion to highlight persistent funding and infrastructure challenges confronting the judiciary, urging increased support from the federal government and collaborators to strengthen the justice sector.
Beyond case management, the PCA warned that actions undermining public confidence in the judiciary could fuel lawlessness and erode trust in the legal system. The special sitting forms part of a push to enhance justice delivery, reduce delays, and reaffirm faith in Nigeria’s appellate process at a pivotal moment in its history.
