Bill to expand Court of Appeal and ease case backlog scales second reading in Senate.

The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the Court of Appeal Act, with provisions to increase the number of Justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110, among other reforms.

The bill scaled second reading after its general principles were presented during plenary on Tuesday by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.
Leading the debate, Bamidele explained that the proposed legislation seeks to amend the Court of Appeal Act, Cap. C36, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, with the aim of strengthening the administration of justice through the expansion of the court.
According to him, the bill is also designed to modernise court operations, improve access to justice and provide a legal framework for the integration of virtual court proceedings.
He noted that the Court of Appeal occupies a critical position in Nigeria’s judicial system due to its appellate jurisdiction.
“Over the years, the Court of Appeal has experienced a significant increase in its workload arising from population growth, expansion of economic activities, increasing electoral disputes, constitutional litigation, commercial transactions and the growing demand for judicial remedies,” he said.
Bamidele, however, observed that the court’s institutional capacity had not expanded at the same pace as the increasing volume and complexity of cases before it.
He stressed the need for legislative intervention to reposition the court for greater efficiency, accessibility and responsiveness to present-day realities.
The Senate Leader said the passage of the bill would deliver far-reaching benefits to the administration of justice in Nigeria.
According to him, an efficient appellate court system is essential to national development, democratic governance and the rule of law.
Bamidele described the proposed legislation as a timely and necessary reform of the Court of Appeal.
“It addresses long-standing structural and operational challenges while preparing the court to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving society,” he said.
The lawmaker added that the proposed amendments were carefully crafted to strengthen judicial capacity, modernise court operations, expand access to justice and improve the overall efficiency of appellate adjudication in Nigeria.
“In view of the foregoing, I therefore urge this distinguished Senate to give the Court of Appeal Amendment Bill, 2026, favourable consideration and support its second reading,” Bamidele said.
Following its passage at second reading, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative action.
The committee is expected to report back to plenary as soon as practicable.
Akpabio stated that when eventually passed into law, the bill would help decongest the Court of Appeal and accelerate the dispensation of justice, noting that “justice delayed is justice denied.”