CJN Criticizes Judges For Delays In Delivering Judgements

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has expressed strong disapproval of judges who fail to deliver rulings on cases within a reasonable time, warning that such delays could erode public trust in the judiciary.

Speaking at the third annual National Judicial Council (NJC) conference on judges’ performance evaluation in Abuja, Justice Kekere-Ekun highlighted that some judges had not delivered a single judgement in an entire quarter, which she described as unacceptable.

“At the last meeting of the committee, there was a reduction in case disposal as some judicial officers failed to deliver a single judgment in one quarter. This is simply unacceptable,” she said.

She further emphasized that the growing backlog of cases in Nigerian courts, coupled with the low rate of case resolutions, is a cause for serious concern.

“We must be deeply concerned by the increase in the number of pending cases and low disposition rates,” the CJN noted. She cited figures from the first quarter of 2024, which revealed a total of 243,253 pending cases in superior courts across the country, excluding the Supreme Court. This included 199,747 civil cases and 43,506 criminal cases.

Justice Kekere-Ekun stressed the urgent need for the judiciary to improve its efficiency in order to address the alarming backlog, stating, “We cannot wish away the growing backlog of cases or expect a different result when we continue to do things the same way.”

The CJN called for renewed efforts to enhance judicial performance, urging judges to take the issue seriously to prevent further delays and to maintain public confidence in the legal system.