President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve a set of judicial reform bills designed to expand the number of judges in key federal courts, citing the need to strengthen the justice system and reduce mounting case backlogs.
The request was conveyed in a letter read on the Senate floor on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the resumption of plenary.
In the letter, the President proposed amendments to existing laws governing the structure and staffing of superior courts.
One of the key proposals sought to amend the Court of Appeal Act to increase the number of justices from the current 70 to 110.
According to the President, the expansion is necessary to cope with the rising volume of appeals and to improve the speed and efficiency of judicial processes.
Tinubu also forwarded a separate bill proposing changes to the Federal High Court Act.
The amendment would raise the number of judges in the court to 90, an increase from the present 70 and significantly higher than the original statutory provision of 50 judges.
The president urged the lawmakers to give the proposed bills accelerated consideration, stressing the urgency of judicial reforms in addressing delays in justice delivery.
The Senate subsequently referred the bills to its Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative processing.
In addition to the proposed increases in judicial personnel, the President requested Senate confirmation of Justice Oyewole Kayode for appointment as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The lawmakers also received another amendment bill relating to the Court of Appeal, which seeks to establish an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre.
The proposed centre is intended to promote the resolution of suitable cases outside the conventional court system, thereby easing pressure on the courts.
Separately, President Tinubu transmitted a communication requesting amendments to 24 health-related bills.
The proposed changes are aimed at addressing concerns over excessively large governing boards within the health sector.
