By Wandoo Sombo
The occasion was the end of year and merit awards ceremony of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The event was also part of programmes put together to mark the beginning of the 2022/2023 legal year of the court.
Judges from all divisions of the court and members of staff of the court, dressed in their shades of colours and fashions sat magnificently in the well-arranged car park.
One would never imagine that the car park could look so resplendent if well decorated and cleared of the many cars, some not in use, that usually made it look plain and ordinary.
“I will encourage you to see the glass of the Federal High Court as half full and not half empty’’ the soft-spoken Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, proclaimed to an expectant audience.
The head of the trial court also promised better welfare in the coming year, and this was greeted with a resounding applause by both judges and members of staff.
“ The coming year gives us a lot to be hopeful for, because having applied deliberate and combined efforts, we expect next year’s budget to be better than that of this current year.
“In line with this, we will introduce various improvements to the welfare of judges and staff of the court.
“The welfare allowance of judges will be increased, as well as their air ticket allowance; there will also be an introduction of a special allowance for officers on grade levels 15 and above.
“Arrangements have also been put in place to cushion the effect of inflation for officers on grade levels 14 and below’’, he said.
He said though the welfare of judges and staff, which is always at the front burner had been continually hampered by financial squeeze, he would continue to push to improve it.
He said that improvement in the welfare might be slow to come but come it surely will.
Nigerians were also not left out as Tsoho made glowing promises to ensure that they had access to justice as far as it was possible.
“In this new legal year, my mind is set on the primary responsibility of this court, which is to provide access to justice as far as possible.
“Also I am more resolute than ever, to keep to my promise of providing innovative methods of improving the administration of justice’’, he pledged.
With the 2023 general elections just around the corner, the additional jurisdiction conferred on the Federal High Court by the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 2022 the Federal High Court is expected to play a major role in the electoral process.
President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Electoral (Amendment), Act 2022 after it was passed by the National Assembly.
Tsoho said by virtue of Sections 29 (5) and 84 (14) of the Act, exclusive jurisdiction is foisted on the Federal High Court in the hearing and determination of pre-election complaints.
“This is linked to that jurisdiction is Section 285 (10) of the 1999 Constitution which provides that such pre-election cases must be concluded within 180 days from the date of filing the suit’’ he said.
The chief judge expressed concerns that this was notwithstanding the judges already existing high-volume dockets that present enormous challenges.
He said the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 2022 was enacted without any consultation with the court and also no support was provided to address the increased responsibility.
He was, however, quick to add that the seeming disruption without consultation did not alter the core fundamental values of the court of rising to challenges and tackling them head on.
“In response to this enormous time-bound responsibility and upon realisation that the practice directions on pre-election matters will not be enough to salvage the imminent lapsing of many of these cases and its attendant consequences, I constituted a special task force for their swift disposal.
“The judges drafted into the task force were saddled with the mandate of completing all pre-election cases before they lapsed.
“It suffices at this juncture, to give account of the regular cases handled in the 2021/2022 legal year’’, he said.
According to him, the 2020/2021 legal year officially closed in July 2021 with a total number of 131,821 cases pending at the end of that legal year and carried over to the 2021/2022 legal year.
“Within that legal year, a total of 17, 677 cases were filed, while the total number of cases disposed of was 13, 906.
“When this is added to the total number of cases carried over from the previous year which is 131,821, we hae a total of 135, 592 cases pending at the end of the legal year.
“This comprises of 41, 788 civil cases, 31, 832 criminal cases, 39,799 motions and 22,173 fundamental rights enforcement applications pending at the end of the legal year’’, he said.
The Chief Judge announced that to help ease the workload of the court, the process of appointing 15 more judges for the court had reached an advanced stage.
He said this was with the approval of the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission.
He also said that for the first time in the history of the court, an independent consultant was engaged to conduct a computer-based test for the applicants.
“This was intended to ensure transparency so that only the most qualified were shortlisted and forwarded to the Federal Judicial Service Commission for further screening’’, he said.
He was optimistic that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola would soon give approval to begin the process for further appointment of nine more judges in order to stem the fast-depleting rank of judges in the court.
Tsoho further prayed the National Assembly to expeditiously pass the bill it initiated on the need to increase the number of judges of the court into law.
Speaking on the state of infrastructure at the court, he said the headquarters annex and the new court complex in Lagos State were given priority in the legal year just ended.
“The annex building in headquarters is about 90 per cent completed and there is a feeling of expectant optimism that it will be ready for commissioning in this new legal year.’’
Tsoho said that the court welcomed collaborations and interactions from agencies and departments of both local and international organisations.
The court also in the legal year ended, recognised and appreciated members of staff who retired within the year and presented the Annual Chief Judge’s Merit Award to deserving staff. . (NANFeatures)
