The National Judicial Council (NJC) has issued a stern warning to judicial officers, emphasizing the need to enhance their performance amid growing concerns about the backlog of court cases.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, addressed these issues during her speech at the Third Annual National Conference on Judges Performance Evaluation, held on Tuesday in Abuja.
Justice Kekere-Ekun expressed her alarm regarding the increasing number of pending cases in the judicial system. As of the first quarter of 2024, a staggering 243,253 cases remain unresolved in Nigeria’s Superior Courts of record, excluding the Supreme Court. This figure includes 199,747 civil cases and 43,506 criminal cases.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, she noted that some judicial officers had failed to deliver any judgments in a quarter, which she described as “unacceptable.”
She stressed the urgent need for judicial officers to focus on improving their performance, stating, “We cannot wish away the growing backlog of cases or expect a different result when we continue to do things the same way.”
Kekere-Ekun further warned that if judges do not fulfill their roles effectively and efficiently, public confidence in the judiciary could erode. “Delayed justice is denied justice,” she asserted, underscoring the importance of timely resolutions in maintaining the integrity of the judicial process.
The Emir of Lafia and Chairman of the NJC, HRH Justice Sidi Muhammad, echoed these sentiments, expressing concern over the drastic increase in case backlogs since the council’s first conference in 2018, when 137,442 cases were pending.
He called for urgent action to address this issue, stating, “These practices must stop.”
Justice Muhammad emphasized that judicial officers who demonstrate persistently poor performance should be identified and recommended for removal by the committee.
He clarified that the intention behind the committee’s evaluations is not to intimidate but to support judges in fulfilling their duties competently and diligently.
The NJC’s call for enhanced judicial performance and the potential for removal serves as a critical reminder of the responsibility judicial officers hold in ensuring justice is served swiftly and effectively.
As the judicial system faces scrutiny, stakeholders will be watching closely to see how these developments unfold and whether the measures taken will lead to meaningful improvements in case resolution rates across Nigeria.
