As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, the Court of Appeal held a special sitting session in its Benin Division to officially open the 2026/2027 Legal Year under the leadership of the President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem.
In her opening address, the President welcomed all present and expressed gratitude to God Almighty for the new legal year. She noted “it is indeed a fitting beginning, as we gather here as part of the activities marking the 50th Anniversary of the Court of Appeal”.
Highlighting the significance of the session, the President explained that the Special Sitting is particularly significant for two reasons.
First, it marks the commencement of a new Legal Year, which provides an opportunity for the Court to renew its commitment to the effective and timely administration of justice. Secondly, it is the fourth in the series of Special Sittings organised in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of the Court, following those held in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja.
His Lordship emphasized that these Special Sittings form part of the Court’s deliberate efforts to mark this important milestone not merely with celebration, but with meaningful judicial service, she said. She noted, through them, we are able to take justice directly to the Divisions where the need for accelerated hearing and determination of appeals is particularly felt.
In addition to these commemorative Special Sittings, the Court has also undertaken specialised judicial interventions, including Shariah Special Sittings in Jos, Kano and Abuja, as well as Mediation Sessions. These initiatives reflect the Court’s continuing efforts to deploy practical and innovative approaches towards improving access to justice and reducing the burden of pending cases.
“Our mediation experiences have recorded great success. And am hoping that in Benin we shall take advantage of that divisional arm of the Court of Appeal.”
In this regard, his lordship stated that the present sitting is therefore an important intervention in support of the Division’s efforts to address its pending docket. For this purpose, forty-five (45) Honourable Justices of the court of appeal have been drawn from various Divisions of the Court, including my humble self, to constitute fifteen (15) panels. These panels are scheduled to hear and determine a total of Four Hundred and Eighty-One (481) appeals during the sitting.
The President therefore noted that the objective of the special sitting was to facilitate the expeditious determination of these matters and, in doing so, contribute to the decongestion of the docket of the Benin Division. We are mindful that behind every appeal is a litigant awaiting the resolution of a dispute, and that timely justice is an essential component of public confidence in the judicial process, she said.
His Lordship expressed profound appreciation to the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Edo state, the Honourable Chief Judge, Edo state.
“I wish, at this juncture, to express our profound appreciation to the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Edo State for the support and cooperation extended to the Court towards the successful conduct of this Special Sitting. The willingness of the State to partner with the Court in this manner is deeply appreciated and demonstrates the value of institutional cooperation in advancing the administration of justice”.
“I also convey our sincere appreciation to the Honourable Chief Judge of Edo State for graciously accommodating the Court with the use of courtrooms and chambers of the State High Court for the duration of this sitting. I have been informed that the State High Court has made the necessary arrangements to suspend its regular sittings during this week to enable us to conduct this exercise successfully”.
“My Lord, your support and cooperation are highly appreciated and certainly not taken for granted. We are grateful for this gesture, which has provided the Court with the additional facilities required to undertake this exercise effectively”.
Addressing the legal practitioners, his lordship, urged members of the Bar appearing before the various panels to approach the sitting with the requisite diligence and preparedness. She noted all counsels should ensure that processes are properly filed and served, records and authorities are readily available, and that preliminary issues are identified and addressed without delay.
Thereby adding that the success of this exercise depends not only on the commitment of the Bench but also on the cooperation and preparedness of the Bar and all parties before the Court.
His Lordship equally urged litigants and their Counsel to take advantage of every appropriate opportunity for the amicable resolution of disputes. Where matters are amenable to settlement or mediation, parties should be encouraged to explore those avenues. Justice is not measured only by the number of cases determined, but also by the extent to which disputes are resolved fairly, efficiently and in a manner that brings meaningful closure to the parties.
As the Court commences this new Legal Year, his lordship urged all stakeholders in the sector to remain conscious of the responsibilities entrusted to them. The Golden Jubilee of the Court is not only a celebration of the past fifty years; it is also an opportunity to reflect on the future we are collectively shaping for the appellate justice system. We must continue to uphold the values of integrity, fairness, independence, diligence and professionalism which are essential to the discharge of our judicial responsibilities, she stated.
The President expressed deep gratitude to her brother Justices who made themselves available for this exercise, many of whom have travelled from other Divisions as their commitment and willingness to contribute to this collective effort are deeply appreciated.
His Lordship also commended the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal and his team, the Deputy Chief Registrar and the entire staff of the Benin Division for the arrangements put in place for this sitting.
“I appreciate the work that has gone into ensuring that the panels are properly constituted and equipped to undertake the substantial task before them.
His Lordship also expressed and acknowledged the presence and continued support of members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm and other stakeholders in the justice sector.
“Your engagement with the Court remains important in promoting public understanding of the arduous work of the judiciary”, she said.
As we begin the 2026/2027 Legal Year in this Golden Jubilee year, may we continue to be guided by wisdom, courage and a deep sense of duty, and may our efforts contribute meaningfully to the timely and fair administration of justice in our great nation Nigeria.
Welcoming everyone to the Special Sitting, the President wished the Court a productive and successful week.
Delivering his address, the Hon. Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Edo state, Prof. Roland Iyoyah Otaru, SAN, Ph.D stated that for the litigants, the value of justice lies both in the correctness of the eventual decision and in the ability of the judicial system to bring a dispute to a lawful and timely conclusion.
He commended the leadership of his lordship emphasizing that the President deserves particular acknowledgement for the clarity and consistency with which this challenge has been confronted under her leadership and noted that across several Divisions of the Court, special sittings have become a deliberate instrument of judicial administration, reflecting a simple but important proposition that congestion should not simply be counted from year to year; but must be deliberately confronted.
Prof. Otaru further stressed that expedition and judicial rigour are not opposing values. The real measure of an effective appellate court is its capacity to preserve both. That capacity has been demonstrated repeatedly by My Lord the President and the Honourable Justices of this Court, often under pressures that are largely invisible outside the justice system.
When the work of these special sittings is eventually counted, there will naturally be figures: appeals heard, judgments reserved, matters concluded. But the more important account will be written elsewhere, in the lives of litigants who can finally move forward because the law has spoken with finality, My Lords, that is the quiet but profound service appellate judges render to a nation, he said.
Concluding his remarks, he expressed his deep gratitude to the President of the court and her brother Justices for the service and sacrifice required to bring it here to Benin, offering prayers for fruitful deliberations, strength, success and a reduction in both court dockets and the waiting litigants.
In his address, Omorodion Omoigui Esq., Chairman of the (NBA) Benin Branch (Lion Bar), noted that the President’s presence in Benin was not just ceremonial, but historic, corrective and it is deeply appreciated.
He further remarked that the special decongestion initiative delivers a strong message “you have sent a clear message that the Court of Appeal is not distant from the litigant but that justice must go to the people, not just wait for the people to come to justice.”
The NBA Chairman respectfully urged his legal Colleagues to co-operate with my Lords in ensuring that this move is not truncated in any way by refraining from filing frivolous applications, abandoning appeals and writing endless letters of adjournments.
Furthermore, he appealed for the establishment of permanent additional panels sitting concurrently in the Division to handle high volume of pending matters, alongside addressing infrastructural challenges.
In his closing remarks, he stated that history will remember you as the President who refused to let the appellate courts collapse under your watch. You have shown leadership that is firm, reform-minded, and humane.