Court of Appeal at 40; Standing Strong and Restoring Confidence in the Judiciary

This year the Court of Appeal recently turned 40, despite its great strides in the face of monumental challenges, the court chose not celebrate this landmark event with much fanfare.

Under the Constitution of Nigeria, the Court of Appeal is established as a Court for the entire Federation. It is also an intermediate or appellate tribunal between the Supreme Court of Nigeria and other tribunals. The court of appeal decides appeals from the district courts within the federal judicial system, and in some instances from other designated federal courts and administrative agencies. Judges of the Court of Appeal are recommended by the National Judicial Council, nominated by the President of Nigeria and confirmed by the Senate.
The head of the Court is called the President, a position statutorily designated as equal to the position of a Justice of the Supreme Court. Currently, the Court of Appeal maintains about 10 judicial divisions in 10 cities of Nigeria to service specific States of Nigeria.
In a recent message to judges and staff the President of the Court acknowledged that the Court was beset with the challenge of establishing a judicial system suited for a democratic society.
She said, “Primitive systems of judicial administration have been over taken by numerous innovations in administration and science and technology.

“The Court is not unmindful of these challenges. Information technology and Internet are fast taking space in business, industry and administration. Maintenance of independence of the judiciary has been provided in the constitution of Nigeria. A democratic society needs an independent judiciary, which can ensure the citizens to judicially avail their fundamental rights,” she said.
She noted further that an effective and reliable judicial system demands a suitable system for the welfare of judges of the court. No institution can afford to over look the aspect of welfare and training with regard to its staff. There has been a continuous emphasis on these points in the Nigerian Court of Appeal. This website will give you an idea of various activities in which the Court of Appeal is engaged currently.

There are currently seventy-two Nigerian courts of appeals across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. There are 12 North-Central, 10 in Northeast, 10 in Northwest, 10 in, 10 in South-south, 9 in Southeast and 11 in Southwestern Nigeria. The Headquarter is located at the Three Arms Zone in Abuja.