• Says political cases threaten other litigants
• 733 old cases listed for hearing
• Fagbemi warns SANs against commercialising rank

Supreme Court handled 2,456 matters and delivered 411 judgments during the 2025/2026 Legal Year, up from 2,280 matters and 369 judgments and rulings in the preceding year, underscoring the growing workload confronting Nigeria’s highest court.

Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, disclosed this yesterday at the special session of the Supreme Court marking the commencement of the 2026/2027 Legal Year, while outlining measures to accelerate the disposal of pending cases and improve judicial efficiency.

The court’s caseload increased by 176 matters, representing about 7.7 per cent, while the number of judgments delivered rose by 42, or approximately 11.4 per cent, compared with the preceding legal year.

The figures, according to the CJN, reflect the court’s efforts to improve performance through deliberate case management, although the scale of pending litigation remains a major institutional concern.

Of the 2,456 matters handled during the period, 1,179 were general civil motions, 573 criminal motions and 13 Sharia-related motions, while appeals accounted for 676 matters.

The appeals comprised 433 general civil cases, 212 criminal cases, 19 political appeals, 12 Sharia appeals and 10 originating summons.

Beyond the headline figures, Kekere-Ekun said the court had intensified efforts to identify ageing cases, dispose of dormant matters and remove concluded cases from its active docket.

She disclosed that the E-Diary Office scheduled 1,385 matters for regular sittings between March 23 and December 17, 2026. These comprised 1,021 motions and 364 appeals.

Significantly, 733 of the scheduled matters were old cases deliberately brought forward for hearing as part of efforts to tackle the backlog.

The court also disposed of 178 moribund matters in chambers, while 125 cases that had already been concluded were identified and removed from the active pool.

CJN also warned that the growing pressure of political and electoral litigation could overwhelm Nigeria’s courts and delay justice for ordinary litigants, urging lawyers to stop forum shopping and filing multiple cases seeking substantially similar reliefs.

She warned that the practice could produce conflicting court orders, undermine judicial processes and create the impression that litigants were seeking favourable outcomes from particular courts rather than justice according to law.

Kekere-Ekun said the danger required urgent attention as the country approaches another electoral season, when political disputes are likely to place additional demands on the judiciary.

The CJN stressed that lawyers had a professional responsibility to consider the implications of instituting proceedings, particularly where related cases were already pending before another court.

Kekere-Ekun said the judiciary must approach political and electoral disputes with the same impartiality, restraint and fidelity to the law required in every other case.

Beyond the number of cases handled, Kekere-Ekun said the effective management of pending matters remained a major institutional priority.

On the fight against corruption and financial crime, Kekere-Ekun said the judiciary’s contribution should not be measured solely by convictions and forfeiture orders, stressing that every case must be determined fairly and in accordance with due process.

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has warned that the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) must not become a commercial instrument, urging members of the Inner Bar to uphold professional integrity, mentor younger lawyers and strengthen public confidence in the justice system.

Fagbemi, who spoke yesterday at the special session of the Supreme Court to mark the commencement of the 2026/2027 legal year in Abuja, said the distinction must be matched by exemplary conduct, quality advocacy and a demonstrable commitment to public service.

The Attorney-General expressed concern over what he described as the increasing commercialisation of the rank, warning that the perception of silk as a means of economic advantage could undermine its founding purpose.