Bill to Expand FCT High Court Judges from 70-100 Passes Second Readingo

The House of Representatives has advanced a bill proposing an increase in the number of High Court Judges in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 70 to 100.

This bill, which successfully passed its second reading aims to address the pressing need for enhanced judicial capacity in Abuja's legal framework.

The bill, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu alongside Babajimi Benson, Akin Rotimi, and five other lawmakers, seeks to amend Section 1 of the existing Act.

The proposed amendment is designed to expand the judiciary's ability to deliver timely justice by increasing the statutory number of judges.

As co-sponsor Jonathan Gbefwi highlighted during the debate, "The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja stands as a crucial pillar in Nigeria’s judicial framework," yet it is currently overwhelmed by a substantial backlog of cases.

At the start of the 2022/2023 legal year, the FCT High Court was burdened with 12,513 pending cases, compounded by an additional 5,952 new cases.

This workload has significantly strained the court's resources, shows the necessity for more judges to manage the rising volume and complexity of cases effectively.

Gbefwi emphasized that the current complement of judges is insufficient to keep pace with these demands, particularly given Abuja's rapid population growth and economic development.