By Adenike Ayodele
The Court of Appeal in Lagos on Monday began a special sitting, listing 360 cases
for hearing to boost efficiency and reduce the growing backlog of cases across its
divisions.
The President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem,
said the session was part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the appellate
court.
She said the initiative underscored the judiciary’s commitment to timely justice
delivery and enhanced institutional efficiency.
Dongban-Mensem, said the exercise was a deliberate step to address docket
congestion, particularly at the Lagos division, adding that Lagos, as the nation’s
commercial hub, generated heavy litigation, making it necessary for the court to
adopt innovative measures to decongest dockets and ensure timely justice delivery.
According to her, the special sitting also provides justices from other divisions with
the opportunity to gain exposure to the diverse range of cases typically handled by
the Lagos division.
She said that, for the exercise, the court constituted 16 panels comprising 40
justices drawn from various divisions of the court of appeal.
The judge said the panels would sit for one week, with some sessions held at the
Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal and others at the National Industrial Court
Complex.
Dongban-Mensem said the arrangement was designed to ensure optimal utilisation
of available judicial facilities and resources, while maximising the court’s capacity
to dispense justice efficiently.
She thanked the Lagos division for accommodating visiting justices with court
facilities and housing, describing the gesture as a reflection of collective goodwill
and cooperation within the Court of Appeal.
“We are grateful for the benevolence extended to us, and we hope the court will
soon be able to extend similar goodwill to other institutions,” she said.
The PCA further disclosed that a total of 26 appeals had been listed for hearing
before the 16 panels constituted for the special sitting, stressing that all the appeals
were ripe for hearing, and urged counsel and parties to fully utilise the exercise by
ensuring their processes were properly prepared and free of defects that could
delay proceedings.
“We expect counsel to carefully review their processes before coming to court. If
anything in your process could delay the hearing of an appeal, please take steps to
remove it,” Dongban-Mensem said.
