Nigeria’s Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the Federal High Court Act by increasing the number of judges on the Federal High Court from 70 to 90, in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s judicial capacity.
Lawmakers approved the proposed legislation during plenary on Tuesday, advancing efforts to address the growing workload of the Federal High Court and improve the timely dispensation of justice across Nigeria.
The amendment seeks to expand the court’s judicial strength by adding 20 new judges, a measure expected to ease mounting case backlogs and enhance the efficiency of one of the country’s most important superior courts.
Supporters of the bill argued that the increase has become necessary in view of the rising volume and complexity of cases under the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, including constitutional, commercial, electoral and financial crime matters.
The proposed legislation will now proceed to the committee stage for further legislative scrutiny before returning to the Senate for consideration and final passage.
