The President of the Nigerian Bar Association ,Yakubu Maikyau, has issued a demand for the immediate appointment of additional Justices to reach the constitutionally mandated total of 21 Justices at the Supreme Court.
This appeal comes following the recent retirement of Justice Amina Augie, which has reduced the number of Supreme Court Justices to 11.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the NBA National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Lawal, conveyed President Maikyau’s concerns regarding the increased workload on the current Justices due to the reduced number.
President Maikyau also called for a constitutional amendment to alleviate the caseload burden on the apex court.
This call for action by the NBA emphasizes the need to uphold the constitutional standards for the Supreme Court while ensuring its efficiency in dispensing justice.
The statement partly read, “The NBA President expressed concerns that the exit of Hon. Justice Augie from the Bench of the Supreme Court has further reduced the number of Justices of this Court, with the attendant increase in the workload of the already overworked/overburdened and, unfortunately, poorly remunerated justices.
“The NBA President noted that it has become imperative that the Nigerian Constitution be amended to increase the threshold for the number of justices to be appointed to the Supreme Court and to reduce the number of matters that get to the Supreme Court by limiting the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to certain constitutional matters.”
