The House of Representatives on Thursday passed through second reading a bill aimed at amending the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Act, with a key proposal to increase the number of judges in the FCT High Court. The proposed amendment seeks to raise the current maximum number of judges from seventy to a minimum of one hundred.
The bill, which was sponsored by Deputy Speaker Rep. Benjamin Kalu, Rep. Babajimi Benson, Rep. Akin Rotimi, and five other lawmakers, was introduced to address the growing backlog of cases and the increasing complexity of judicial matters in the FCT High Court. Leading the debate on the bill’s general principles, Hon. Jonathan Gbefwi, one of the co-sponsors, highlighted the urgent need for additional judges to alleviate the strain on the court’s judicial resources.
Gbefwi emphasized that the FCT High Court plays a vital role in Nigeria’s judicial system, handling not only cases from Abuja but also numerous national matters of significance. He pointed to the overwhelming caseload, citing that at the start of the 2022/2023 legal year, the court inherited 12,513 pending cases and received an additional 5,952 new cases. This surge in caseload, Gbefwi explained, has put immense pressure on the existing judicial staff, making the need for more judges imperative.
“The current number of judges is inadequate to handle the rising volume of cases, particularly as Abuja’s population and economic activities continue to grow. This bill seeks to address that challenge by increasing the number of judges, which will lead to faster case resolutions and help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the judiciary,” Gbefwi said.
He expressed confidence that increasing the number of judges would reduce delays in the legal process, thereby boosting public trust in the judicial system. The bill proposes amending Section 1 of the High Court of the FCT Act to raise the statutory number of judges from seventy to at least one hundred, allowing the court to better manage its caseload and future demands.
After the debate, the bill was referred to the Committee on FCT Judiciary and Constitution Review for further consideration. Lawmakers have expressed strong support for the amendment, viewing it as a critical step in ensuring timely justice and strengthening the rule of law in Nigeria.
