Appeal Court delivers 7,295 judgments, rulings on 3,665 motions in one year

On Monday, Justice Monica Dongben-Mensem, President of the Court of Appeal, announced that in the 2022/2023 judicial year, the Court issued 7,295 judgements and rulings on 3,665 motions.

Justice Dongben-Mensen made the announcement at the Court’s headquarters to kick off the New Legal Year of 2023/2024.

She recalled that 1,209 petitions were lodged against the 2023 general elections and that 98 panels were formed to hear election petitions across the country.

She stated that 5 cases submitted with the Presidential Election Petition Court have been resolved, that 147 petitions filed with the Senatorial Election Tribunal have been partially delivered, and that 417 petitions filed with the House of Representatives Election are now being processed.

She also mentioned that 83 petitions related to gubernatorial elections are being processed, and that 28 states took part in gubernatorial elections despite only 24 having petitions filed.

The President of the Court of Appeal claims that the Abuja Division is currently inundated with paperwork and lacks sufficient space for filing and offices.

As a result, she pleaded with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to allocate a sizable plot of land for Abuja Division development.

Former AGF and Minister of Justice Kanu Agabi, SAN, spoke at the ceremony on Monday and said that the continuing survival of Nigeria is highly dependent on the honesty of judicial officers in performing their duties.

Agabi urged the judges to maintain their self-assurance no matter how difficult the case.

The former AGF, speaking for BOSAN, the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, noted that the efforts of the country’s judicial officers throughout the years had been essential in maintaining the country’s unity.

Agabi pointed out that judges and lawyers are under constant attack and criticism, despite the fact that they are essential to the country’s continued existence.

Without an end to the unjust attacks against judicial officers, he said, the country will be lost.

“Only in our country do judicial officers toil harder than slaves and receive less gratitude. The good news is that Nigeria’s judges can hold their own against the legal system’s more extreme elements.

We should be proud of our Justices whether or not we agree with them. Some of them are so smart and courageous that their governments appoint them to the position of justice in other nations.

A single Justice’s error should not be used as an excuse for blanket criticism. They’re far superior to judges in other countries. They’re admirable for standing up to the bad guys.

Unless “we are careful with the way we attack Judges,” he warned, “we will lose our minds and consciences.” “Majority of judicial officers are still standing in the face of challenges,” he stated.

Those who wish to criticize judicial personnel, he said, may do so; however, they should use caution and refrain from personal attacks when doing so.

The former Justice Minister has spoken out against setting excessive bail for suspects.

Since they are presumed innocent until proven guilty, he said, it is illegal to set excessive bail that will keep them behind bars.

The principles that govern bail terms are the same as fines imposed by the constitution, he argued, therefore there’s no reason to hammer unrealistic bail restrictions.

He issued a call to action to the country’s current AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, asking him to use his position to better the lives and working circumstances of the country’s judicial officers.

Fagbemi stated during his speech that President Bola Tinubu’s administration will work to fill the vacancies on the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.