The Court of Appeal has held a week-long special session to help its Port Harcourt division reduce its long list of pending cases.
Within the week, it considered 357 appeals and 272 motions.
The session, which started on February 16, was part of the commemorative activities of the court’s golden jubilee celebration.
The session featured 17 panels, comprising 51 Justices drawn from the various divisions of the court across the country.
During the session, the court also formally inaugurated its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centre in the Port Harcourt division.
Addressing the opening session, the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, said the occasion allowed reflecting on its enduring contributions to the country’s jurisprudence and to renew its commitment to the faithful discharge of its constitutional mandate in the service of justice and the country.
Justice Dongban-Memsem noted that the special sitting reflected the court’s continuing commitment to the enhancement of the effective administration of justice, particularly through deliberate efforts aimed at addressing the volume of pending appeals across its divisions.
She explained that the panels would sit throughout the week in scheduled sessions, with some sitting at the Port Harcourt division and others at the River State High Court complex.
The PCA stated that the panels were carefully constituted to ensure effective case management and meaningful deliberation in line with the court’s traditions.
She added that due to inadequate accommodation, the panels also included morning and afternoon sessions.
Justice Dongban-Mensem said the court’s Justices handled hundreds of cases in one week, saying the process required extraordinary effort beyond open court proceedings.
The PCA urged lawyers and parties to approach the sitting with diligence and preparedness.
She also urged them to ensure that the processes were in order and that all issues that could cause delays were handled diligently in advance.
Expressing concern about the undue vilification of the Judiciary, the PCA urged members of the legal profession to defend the integrity of the institution, encouraging criticism only when grounded in facts and figures.
Justice Dongban-Mensem, who stressed the need to build an indigenous body of jurisprudence, capable of being cited with pride globally, expressed delight at appreciation of the court’s mediation efforts in the division, noting that mediation practice is now solidly grounded in the Court of Appeal Act.
The PCA expressed appreciation to the Chief Judge of Rivers State for graciously providing courtrooms for the exercise, a gesture she said facilitated the smooth conduct of proceedings.
She urged the media to ensure accurate reportage of the court’s proceedings and decisions.
It is essential, she said, to always seek clarification, where necessary.
A member of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), Chief Onueze Okocha (SAN), who spoke for the group, applauded the Court of Appeal’s leadership for the initiative..
Okocha assured the PCA that the Bar would continue to support the success of the exercise.
The lawyer said the special sitting was in the interest of the lawyers and their clients.
He added that challenges of decongestion of cases, delays in the hearing and disposal of matters have constituted a burden for the legal community.
“This, I believe, is a commendable gesture to ensure that many of those cases that ought to have been heard by now will be heard and disposed off,” Okocha said.
The Chairman of the Port Harcourt Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Cordelia Uwuma Eke, praised the court’s leadership for the initiative.
Mrs. Eke noted that convening the week-long special session was a way of fast-tracking justice in the Port Harcourt division and accelerating access to justice for litigants.
The branch chairman said the exercise would also enable the lawyers to have their pending cases heard.
Mrs. Eke, who spoke on the need for the continuation of such intervention, called for the appointment of more Justices to ensure the full utilisation of the existing facilities in the division.
