In a special court session marking the commencement of the 2023/2024 Legal Year in Rivers State, Chief Judge Justice Simeon Amadi revealed that a staggering 36,712 cases are currently pending in various courts across the state.
According to Justice Amadi, a significant number of these cases have carried over from the preceding Legal Year, with the High Courts accounting for 11,074 of the pending cases from the 2022/2023 Legal Year, despite disposing of 5,041 cases during that period.
Furthermore, the Magistrates Courts are grappling with 14,943 pending cases, while the Customary Court of Appeal has brought forward 88 cases into the new Legal Year.
Notably, the Judiciary in the state amassed a total of N645 million in the previous year, underlining the magnitude of the legal workload faced by the courts.
However, the Chief Judge lamented the influx of 50 petitions from lawyers and litigants seeking the transfer of their cases from magistrates and judges. He stressed that frivolous petitions undermine the expeditious dispensation of justice, underscoring the need for judicious scrutiny of such requests.
Highlighting the pressing need for additional personnel, Justice Amadi underscored the necessity of recruiting at least 300 employees to alleviate the prevalent manpower deficit afflicting the state’s judiciary.
Meanwhile, Commissioner for Justice Zaccheaus Adangor voiced concern over the unprofessional conduct of certain legal practitioners, emphasizing the imperative of upholding the integrity of judges even in the face of unfavorable outcomes in legal disputes.
In a show of solidarity, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Onueze Okocha, SAN, lauded the judiciary in Rivers for its commendable achievements in recent times.
Earlier in the session, Victor Benebo, Chairman of the Port Harcourt chapter of the NBA, urged judicial officers to discharge their duties impartially and without bias. He also advocated for enhanced welfare provisions for magistrates, underscoring the pivotal role of conducive working conditions in facilitating optimal performance.
NAN
