President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve amendments to existing laws that would expand the number of judges in the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
In two separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read on the Senate floor on Tuesday, January 27, the president requested changes to the Federal High Court Act and the Court of Appeal Act.
Tinubu proposed raising the number of Federal High Court judges from 70 to 90. He also sought an increase in the number of justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110.
Explaining the need for the amendment to the Federal High Court Act, Tinubu noted that the court’s judge limit was originally set at 50 before it was increased to 70 in 2005 — a figure that remains unchanged despite rising demands.
He said the court now handles a growing range of complex cases, including terrorism-related offences, transnational organised crimes, and other matters linked to national security.
According to the president, increasing the number of judges would improve the judge-to-case ratio, speed up trials, and enhance the overall quality of decisions. It would also encourage judicial specialisation in areas such as terrorism, financial crimes, taxation, intellectual property, and maritime law.
“I hereby present the Federal High Court Amendment Bill 2025 and trust that the Senate will consider its passage expeditiously,” Tinubu stated.
On the Court of Appeal, Tinubu said the proposed amendment would not only increase the number of justices to 110 but also clarify the court’s structure and seniority system. The bill includes provisions on the ranking of justices, including the role of the President of the Court of Appeal.
The president also proposed modernising court operations through virtual hearings. “The bill provides for proceedings of the Court of Appeal to be conducted through electronic and audio means and for the establishment of an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre (ADRC),” he said.
The proposed ADRC would allow some appellate cases to be settled outside the regular court process, helping to reduce case backlogs and improve efficiency.
Tinubu added that the reforms are aimed at strengthening professionalism, ensuring legal clarity in appellate practice, and aligning the court system with modern legal standards. He said updating terminology and adopting digital processes would improve access to justice and public confidence in the judiciary.
After the letters were read, Senate President Akpabio referred both bills to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative consideration.
