Chief Justice Wants Judgement’s Appeal To Be By Leave

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The Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, has made a case for all appeals to the Supreme and the Appeal Courts to be by leave and not by right.

Justice Onnoghen made this suggestion on Monday at the official commissioning of the remodeled and upgraded Court of Appeal complex in Lagos.

The building was first commissioned on October 1, 1963 by the First President of Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikwe.

At that time, it was the seat of the Supreme Court. But following the Federal Government’s directive in 1994 that all ministries and parastatals should be relocate to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, the Supreme Court moved and the Court of Appeal came to occupy the complex.

Now, the court wears a new look and the Acting CJN, some other judges, the state government, Senior lawyers, the court staff and many others were at the official commissioning.

Addressing the gathering, the Acting CJN said he did not believe that creating more courts or appointing more judges would decongest the courts.

The court of appeal was established in 1976 as the second highest court in the country.

The Lagos division presently has eight justices who seat two panels to hear appeals from all trial courts, State and Federal, in Lagos.