PROTOCOLS
1. I am delighted to stand before this honourable Court today, to be part of this august gathering – the 2022/2023 Legal Year Ceremony of this Court. I thank My Lord, the Honourable, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, the Honourable Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, OFR, FICMC, FIIP, for the invitation extended to me to participate and for the privilege of addressing this special Court session.
2. I am aware that Your Lordships had since resumed judicial activities, but as this is the formal ceremony to mark the beginning of the new legal year, may I, respectfully, on behalf of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), formally and most warmly welcome Your Lordships back from the well-deserved rest and vacation. May I, equally, acknowledge
and appreciate the Vacation Judges who dutifully held the fort; hearing and determining cases that required urgent judicial intervention, particularly in this season of pre-election disputes, and ensured that the wheels of justice were not completely halted while the
Court was on vacation.
3. Nearly half a century ago, in April 1973, this Court was established, then as the Federal Revenue Court, under the pioneering leadership of His Lordship, Hon. Justice Sigismund Olanrewaju Lambo. Since then, the Court has made notable advancements, from 5 Judges in one building in Lagos to 79 Judges in 36 Judicial Divisions across the Country. The Court has also seen a few changes – ‘the President of the Federal Revenue Court’ is now the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. In addition to this, no other Court’s jurisdiction has been the subject of controversy as much as the Federal High Court’s; it has been expounded over and again and the question is not yet completely settled.
However, there is no denying that this Court has continued to make giant strides and to play a major role in ensuring stability in the polity; this Court has contributed a huge quota in the growth and expansion of our jurisprudence.
Download Full Federal High Court Legal Year 2022 Address Here