Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, don dey call for serious reforms inside the judiciary to make sure justice dey serve well for Nigerians. She talk dis one during the third annual National Judicial Council (NJC) conference on judges’ performance evaluation for 2024 in Abuja.
Kekere-Ekun point out say the number of pending cases for the superior courts of record, excluding the Supreme Court, don reach 243,253 as of the first quarter of 2024. Out of dis number, 199,747 be civil cases, while 43,506 be criminal cases. She express her disappointment say some judges no deliver single judgment for the entire quarter, which she describe as “simply unacceptable”.
The CJN stress say the slow pace of legal proceedings dey frustrate many Nigerians and dey jeopardize public faith in the judiciary. She urge immediate action to address the backlog of cases and improve judicial performance.
Kekere-Ekun suggest the use of digital tools like digital case management systems, judicial performance evaluation software (JPES), virtual courtrooms, e-filing systems, and digital databases to streamline case management and improve efficiency. She also advocate for the broader use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms like mediation and arbitration to expedite case resolution and reduce the burden on judges.
She warn say if the judiciary no take serious action, public confidence go dey at risk. “Unless we can justly, speedily, and effectively execute our roles as judicial officers, the populace will lose confidence in the judiciary,” she say.
