As Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, aptly noted, “Nigerians expect a lot from the judiciary.” This expectation is not merely a reflection of public sentiment; it underscores the pressing need for a judicial system that delivers justice promptly and transparently.
In May 2018, the then Lagos State Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Opeyemi Oke stated that there were over 3,000 backlogs of cases in different courts across Lagos .
In the 2022–2023 legal year, the FCT courts received an overwhelming 13,306 new cases, yet managed to resolve only 11,621 matters. This disparity highlights a critical issue: justice must not only be served but must be served in a timely manner. Justice Baba-Yusuf has set a commendable example, advocating for openness and accessibility in the judicial process. “Our goal is to uphold the principles of openness, transparency, and accessibility in administering justice,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of public understanding of the justice system.
With the new Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, pledging to expedite the handling of petitions and reinforce integrity within the judiciary, there is hope for a transformative shift. Justice Kekere-Ekun’s commitment to tightening disciplinary procedures within the judiciary is a necessary step toward restoring public confidence. In the same legal year, the FCT High Court assigned 5,952 new cases, while the Magistrate Court received 7,354 filings, demonstrating the significant workload facing our courts.
The statistics are telling. The FCT High Court achieved a completion rate of 72.4% by resolving 4,293 cases, while the Magistrate Courts boasted an impressive 99.6% completion rate with 7,328 resolved cases. These figures shows the thag the FCT is doing something unique and worthy of emulation by other states when it comes to timely dispensing of justices and urgent need for a judicial system that prioritizes speed in its operations. The adage “justice delayed is justice denied” resonates deeply in this context, as prolonged legal proceedings can lead to despair for those seeking redress.
The backlog of cases as been resolved in the the FCT. But there are so many Across Nigeria, many states, including Lagos, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Benue, are grappling with similar issues. A staggering number of individuals have suffered or even died while awaiting justice. Comparatively, countries like the United States and the United Kingdom manage to resolve cases within a year or less, while in Nigeria, the average duration for a criminal trial can extend to four to six years. This stark contrast highlights the urgent need for reform.
According to the UK Ministry of Justice’s criminal court statistics, for all criminal cases in 2018, it took an average of 157 days between the offence being reported to the completion of the case. When compared to Nigeria, the average time a criminal trial proceeding takes prior to the enactment of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) is four to six years[12]. Between 2018 and 2019, the average time taken to complete magistrate cases in England has risen 6% from 151 days to 159 days[13]. Comparing this to Nigeria, in 2011 it took 593 days on average to complete a case in the Magistrate Courts in Kaduna State[14].
In the UK County Courts in 2017, there were 58,500 trials/hearings for all claims. For small claims, there was an average of 31 weeks between the issuing of a claim and a trial/hearing. From January to March 2020 the average time taken for small claims and multi/fast track claims to go to trial was 39.7 and 59.6 weeks[15].
In India, 57% of district and subordinate court cases take more than 10 years to dispose of. One of the main reason for the substantial length of Indian court cases is the extremely high population and the relatively little number of Judges available to handle the numerous cases[16].
When compared to other Jurisdictions, Nigeria is far behind in terms of the length of time that court cases take to be completed with some examples wherein Nigeria the average time spent is about 10 times more than some jurisdictions.
As we look to the future, it is imperative that the Nigerian judiciary embraces a culture of efficiency and accountability.l with the FCT setting a standard and that must duplicate from
lover court to the highest court of the land , The commitment from our judiciary leaders is a promising start, but it requires collective action and sustained effort to transform these ideals into reality. The time for swift, transparent, and fair justice is now. The people of Nigeria deserve nothing less.
