Senate Mulls Raising Supreme Court Justices to 30 to Curb Case Backlog

The Nigerian Senate is currently reviewing a legislative proposal that seeks to increase the number of Supreme Court Justices from 21 to 30, as part of efforts to tackle the rising backlog of cases and boost the efficiency of the apex court.

The sponsor of the bill, Senator Osita Izunaso (Imo West), made the announcement during a press briefing on Friday in Abuja to mark his two years in the 10th National Assembly.

Izunaso noted that despite the historic appointment of 11 justices in 2023 — finally filling the constitutional quota of 21 for the first time — the court remains overstretched.

“The volume of cases reaching the court daily is alarming. Some litigants are being given hearing dates as far ahead as 2027 and 2028,” he said.

He argued that increasing the number of justices would allow the Supreme Court to form at least five panels simultaneously, thus enabling faster case resolution, especially for matters of national and constitutional significance.

Push for Judicial Reform
Beyond expanding the bench, Senator Izunaso is calling for a reform of the types of cases permitted to reach the Supreme Court, lamenting the overload caused by “trivial matters.”

“Why should a land matter in my village end up in the Supreme Court?” he asked.
“Many of these should start and end at the Customary or High Court. The apex court should focus on terrorism, grand corruption, and constitutional interpretation.”

Izunaso criticized the current system where tenancy disputes, divorces, and land disagreements often reach the final appellate court, thereby clogging the judicial pipeline and delaying justice for more pressing national issues.

He also recounted a personal case scheduled for 2026, despite the fact that the parties involved had long passed away and the matter had been resolved among their descendants — underscoring the need for systemic change.

Rejects Regional Supreme Courts
While some legal experts have proposed regional Supreme Courts to share the burden, Izunaso opposed the idea.

“A unitary Supreme Court preserves the sanctity and unity of our judicial system. What we need is better filtration at the lower level — not more apex courts,” he emphasized.

Commends Tinubu on Nwosu Honour
On another note, the senator praised President Bola Tinubu for posthumously honoring Professor Humphrey Nwosu, former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission and organizer of the acclaimed June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Nwosu was awarded the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) during the 2025 Democracy Day celebrations.

Izunaso urged the president to take it a step further by naming INEC’s national headquarters after Professor Nwosu, noting that he had previously sponsored a Senate motion for such recognition.

“Even when that motion failed, we stood our ground. Today, we feel vindicated.”