The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola says Nigerians, especially the political class are the most litigious people on earth putting the judiciary under a lot of pressure.
Justice Ariwoola made the assertion on Monday in Abuja at the special session of the Supreme Court held to mark the beginning of the 2022/2023 legal year and the swearing-in of 62 newly conferred Senior Advocates of Nigeria, (SAN).
According to the CJN, in every little disagreement, we rush to court and in every lost case, we rush to appeal even up to the Supreme Court, no matter how little the issue might be.
“That has obviously accounted for the several appeals pending in the Supreme Court.
“Though we receive scathing criticisms from members of the public over our over-blotted docket, we are neither in any position to regulate case inflow to the court nor have the supernatural powers to attend to all in one-fell-swoop.
“We have said it repeatedly that ordinarily, most appeals should be allowed to end at the Court of Appeal, but such constitutional provision is yet to be enacted so we have no blame in it.”
He said it was expedient for an amendment of the constitution to stop interlocutory appeals from coming to the Supreme Court and that such appeals should end at the Court of Appeal.
He explained that Nigeria had various alternative dispute resolution mechanisms across the country that could conveniently be leveraged on, with a view to freeing the courts of the incessant case-overload.
