The Senate is considering a bill to raise the number of Supreme Court justices from 21 to 30.
Gatekeepers News reports that Osita Izunaso, senator representing Imo West, revealed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, to mark his second year in the 10th national assembly.
He explained that although the court recently reached its constitutional quota of 21 justices following the appointment of 11 new members in 2023, the number is still insufficient to handle the volume of cases reaching the court.
Izunaso said, “Even with the full complement of 21 justices, the Supreme Court is overwhelmed.”
“The volume of cases reaching the court daily is alarming. Some litigants are being given hearing dates as far ahead as 2027 and 2028.”
Izunaso added that the proposed legislation would allow the court to form more panels.
He said, “Supreme court justices typically sit in panels of five, or seven for constitutional matters.”
“If we have 30 justices, it allows the formation of at least five panels simultaneously. That way, more cases can be handled at a faster pace.”
Izunaso further called for reforms to reduce the types of cases that reach the Supreme Court.
He said, “Why should a land matter in my village end up in the Supreme Court?”
“Many of these issues should start from the customary court and end at the high court. The apex court should be reserved for cases of national or constitutional importance – terrorism, homicide, grand corruption.”
The senator noted that cases like tenancy disputes or family disagreements should not be allowed at the apex court.
He said, “Do you know that even tenancy disputes, like ‘pay me my rent’ or ‘my landlord kicked me out’, go all the way to the Supreme Court? This is clogging the system and delaying justice for more critical matters.”
Izunaso cited an instance of a case involving deceased litigants, being listed for hearing, three years after it had been resolved by families.
He said, “The case was fixed for 2026, even though the matter had already been settled. That’s an indictment of our system.”
While rejecting calls for regional Supreme Courts, Izunaso stressed the importance of maintaining a unified apex court to preserve judicial system and advocated for better case filtration at lower judicial levels.
Additionally, Izunaso revealed that the Senate is considering a bill proposing the creation of a new state, Anim State, in the South-East.
The bill has already passed a second reading and is currently under review by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review.
