Supreme Court reserves judgment in states’ appeal against Executive Order 10

The Supreme Court, yesterday, reserved judgment in the suit filed against the Federal Government by the 36 states over the funding of superior courts created by Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The states, in the case marked: SC/655/2020, want the apex court to hold, among others, that it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to bear both the recurrent and capital expenditures of the higher courts.

They also want the court to void the Executive Order 10 issued by President Muammadu Buhari in 2020 on funding of the judiciary, particularly at the state level.

A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, after listening to arguments from lawyers to the parties, said they would be informed when the judgment was ready.

Besides counsel to the parties, the apex court also took presentations from five amici curiae invited by the court to assist with their legal opinions on the issue in contention.

They are Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN); former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba (SAN); Sebastine Hon (SAN); Mahmud Magaji (SAN) and Musibau Adetunbi (SAN).

An amicus curiae is someone who assists the court by furnishing information or advice regarding questions of law or fact.