The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has said that the country’s judiciary is burdened with the rise in the number of cases pending before various courts.
Ariwoola noted that it is an undisputed fact that Nigeria continuously ranks among the most litigious countries in the world.
He insisted that Nigerians must come up with alternative methods of dispute resolution to free the courts of unnecessary burden and depletion of human and material resources.
The CJN stated this at the Supreme Court while inaugurating the nine newly appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal on Wednesday.
Giving reasons for the continued rise in court cases, Ariwoola said the level of novel crimes committed in the country has now kept litigations on a steady rise.
He said, “Political cases, especially, are taking a monumental toll on our dockets. Indeed, the times we are in are not pleasant, to say the least.
“No court in the land is spared of this. We are constantly on our toes and the dockets are ever-rising in response to the challenges of the time.
“This underscores the undisputed fact that Nigeria continuously ranks among the most litigious countries in the world.
“I strongly believe it is high time we began to imbibe the culture of less litigation and more alternative dispute resolution mechanisms so that our courts can be freed of unnecessary burden and depletion of both human and material resources.
“However, the onus squarely rests on your Lordships to fasten your belt and roll up your sleeves to face the challenges head-on.
“You must redouble your pace to catch up with the expectations of the litigants. As judicial officers, you have a divine mandate on earth that you must discharge with unveiled honesty and sincerity.
You must give good account of yourselves to justify your elevation to the Court of Appeal so that you can subsequently earn an elevation to the Supreme Court to further actualize your dreams.”
