Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has expressed her dissatisfaction with the increasing delays in the delivery of judgments by some judges, warning that such delays are unacceptable and could erode public confidence in the judiciary. She noted that failing to deliver a single judgment within a quarter is simply inexcusable.
Speaking at the third annual National Judicial Council (NJC) conference on judges’ performance evaluation in Abuja, Justice Kekere-Ekun highlighted the concerning trend of reduced case disposal rates among judicial officers. She pointed out that at the previous NJC meeting, several judges had failed to deliver any verdicts within a quarter, worsening the backlog of cases.
“At the last committee meeting, we saw a reduction in case disposal, with some judicial officers failing to deliver a single judgment in one quarter. This is simply unacceptable,” the CJN remarked. She further warned that the judiciary cannot expect improved outcomes while maintaining the same ineffective practices.
The CJN expressed particular concern over the growing number of pending cases in courts, especially as disposition rates among judges have dropped. As of the first quarter of 2024, the superior courts of record, excluding the Supreme Court, had a total of 243,253 pending cases. These include 199,747 civil cases and 43,506 criminal cases.
“We must be deeply concerned by the increase in the number of pending cases and low disposition rates,” she said, emphasizing the need for urgent action to address the alarming backlog. Justice Kekere-Ekun called for a renewed focus on enhancing judicial performance to ensure timely justice delivery and to prevent further delays.
The CJN concluded by urging all stakeholders in the judiciary to take the issue seriously, stressing that the efficiency and credibility of the judiciary depend on its ability to dispose of cases in a timely and effective manner.
