The Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, announced on Wednesday that the court recorded a total of 6,727 new cases during the 2025/2026 legal year, successfully disposing of 5,626 matters.
Justice Baba-Yusuf maintained that the authentic legacy of an efficient judiciary is not measured merely by renovated courtrooms, technological adoption, or caseload turnover, but by the tangible impact of fair determinations on human lives and the fundamental rights safeguarded through principled judgments.
Delivering his address at the ceremonial opening of the 2026/2027 legal year in Abuja, the Chief Judge also presented the operational returns of lower and appellate courts across the Territory.
He disclosed that the FCT Magistrates’ Courts recorded 23,200 fresh suits in the preceding legal year, disposing of 19,292 matters.
At the Sharia Court of Appeal, 117 new cases were instituted, with 87 concluded, while the Area Courts disposed of 4,910 cases out of the 6,718 matters pending before them during the period under review.
Justice Baba-Yusuf added that 111 new cases were filed before the FCT Customary Court of Appeal, out of which 37 were determined, while the 43 Customary Courts across the Territory docketed 2,823 cases and disposed of 2,677.
Describing the ceremony as particularly momentous, he noted: “This legal year is of profound significance. It is convened in an expanded format that encompasses the broader FCT judiciary, integrating the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, the Sharia Court of Appeal, and the Customary Court of Appeal.”
The Chief Judge observed that although jurisdictions, court traditions, and procedural frameworks differ, the overarching constitutional mission remains unified: “to uphold the rule of law, protect rights, resolve disputes, preserve public order, and sustain public confidence in the administration of justice.”
He noted that the Territory’s judicial system has been propelled by targeted policy reforms, including the review of court rules and practice directions, comprehensive infrastructural expansion, continuous human capital development, court digitalization, enhanced case management protocols, and institutional streamlining.
He highlighted substantial infrastructural transformations, pointing out that extensive renovations and physical upgrades were carried out across all judicial divisions within the FCT.
The Chief Judge also emphasised that sustained capacity building was extended to judicial officers and administrative personnel to foster institutional excellence while safeguarding the autonomy of judicial decision-making.
He commended the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC), funded through International IDEA, for partnering with the FCT judiciary to train 500 court workers on access to justice, case tracking, archival record-keeping, and witness interpretation.
Charging judicial officers in the Territory to foster collegiality and institutional unity, Justice Baba-Yusuf called for a bench that is “independent in thought, disciplined in administration, compassionate in its treatment of court users, and resolute in the defence of the rule of law.”
“Let us remember that justice delayed may weaken confidence, and justice denied may diminish hope, but justice administered fairly and impartially strengthens the very foundation of our democracy. Our task is to make every reform meaningful, every process efficient, every courtroom more accessible, and every judicial decision a faithful expression of the law,” he added.
In his remarks, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, represented by Tijani Gazali, SAN, described the new legal year as a vital platform for judicial actors to review institutional performance and renew commitments to speedy justice delivery.
Acknowledging the heavy caseload confronting the FCT bench amid rapid urban population growth, the AGF urged the judiciary to continually adopt innovative case-flow management systems to decongest dockets.
Fagbemi specifically charged judges to comply strictly with statutory timelines by delivering judgments within 90 days following the adoption of final written addresses, and ensuring that certified copies of rulings are transmitted to litigants within seven days of delivery.
Reiterating the readiness of the Federal Government to provide requisite institutional support for the justice sector, the AGF called for deepened collaboration among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to enhance the rule of law.