The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, expressed deep concern over the growing backlog of cases in the country’s superior courts during the opening of the 3rd Annual National Judicial Council (NJC) Conference on Judges’ Performance Evaluation in Abuja.
She highlighted that as of the first quarter of 2024, there were 243,253 pending cases, including 199,747 civil and 43,506 criminal cases, attributing the issue partly to the poor performance of some judges. Kekere-Ekun warned that the NJC would not hesitate to remove judges who consistently underperform.
Emphasizing the need for judicial officers to improve their efficiency, the CJN urged the adoption of digital tools and innovations to enhance case management and expedite the judicial process. She acknowledged the recent increase in salaries and allowances for judicial officers by President Bola Tinubu as a positive step towards promoting judicial independence and improving justice delivery.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad, chairman of the NJC Performance Evaluation Committee, echoed the CJN’s sentiments, noting the persistent low performance of some judges. He emphasized that the committee’s aim is to support judges in fulfilling their duties rather than to intimidate or oppress them. The conference aimed to establish a new evaluation system for judges based on both qualitative and quantitative indicators, fostering a more effective judicial process.
