Firm Adjournment Rules as Federal High Court Opens 2025/2026 Legal Year
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has issued a strong call for far-reaching reforms in the administration of justice at the Federal High Court, insisting that justice must be predictable, timely, and technologically driven rather than uncertain and frustrating for litigants.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025/2026 Legal Year of the Federal High Court of Nigeria and Judges’ Conference, Osigwe described the annual ceremony as more than a tradition, calling it a solemn reaffirmation of the judiciary’s pact with the Nigerian people to uphold the rule of law, protect rights, and inspire public confidence.
Addressing the Honourable Chief Judge, Justices of the Court, senior lawyers, and other stakeholders, the NBA President acknowledged the pivotal role of the Federal High Court in Nigeria’s legal and economic architecture. He noted that the Court’s specialised jurisdiction over commercial, constitutional, maritime, regulatory, and administrative matters places it at the heart of national development, investor confidence, and democratic stability.
While commending the Court for its courage, resilience, and constitutional guardianship, Osigwe warned that recent patterns in judicial administration were creating troubling perceptions capable of undermining public trust. Chief among these, he said, is the growing unpredictability of court sittings.
He painted a vivid picture of the daily frustrations faced by Nigerians who travel long distances, incur significant costs, and brave insecurity to attend court, only to be told that the court is not sitting or that their matters have been adjourned after hours of waiting. According to him, such experiences waste time and resources, deepen anxiety, and steadily erode confidence in the justice system.
“Justice that is unpredictable in its administration risks becoming inaccessible in its outcome,” Osigwe warned, stressing that the constitutional guarantee of fair hearing within a reasonable time cannot be achieved amid avoidable and unexplained disruptions.
To address this challenge, the NBA President called for disciplined case scheduling, effective use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, and the appointment of judges of proven integrity and competence. He also underscored the need for modern court infrastructure, secure facilities, and functional headquarters, including the long-awaited Federal High Court complex in Lagos.
Osigwe described efficiency as not merely an administrative preference but a constitutional and moral obligation. He urged the Court to adopt structured, technology-supported scheduling systems, including publicly available court calendars, digital notifications, and real-time updates via court websites and registries. He added that registries must be empowered and held accountable to provide timely and accurate information to lawyers and litigants.
The NBA President further advocated fixed sitting hours, disciplined adjournment practices, and designated time blocks for different categories of cases to reduce congestion and enhance predictability. According to him, when courts sit consistently and communicate clearly, they honour both the Constitution and the dignity of the people they serve.
On judicial independence, Osigwe expressed concern over what he described as an unsettling trend of political actors rushing intra-party disputes to the courts for tactical advantage. He warned that using the judiciary as a tool in partisan battles threatens its moral authority and risks dragging the courts into political storms.
Citing landmark decisions such as Military Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu, PDP v. Sylva, and Ufomba v. INEC, Osigwe reiterated that issues of party leadership, membership, and nominations are generally internal affairs of political parties and often fall outside the jurisdiction of the courts. He urged judges to exercise prudent restraint and resist attempts to convert the Federal High Court into a political theatre.
“Judicial resources are too limited and judicial authority too precious to be dissipated on matters that are, at their core, political questions,” he said.
Osigwe identified several systemic challenges confronting the Federal High Court, including case backlog and delays, limited judicial capacity and infrastructure, inconsistent application of practice directions, technology gaps, manual case assignment processes that fuel perceptions of partiality, weak enforcement of court orders—especially against government agencies—and lapses in professional conduct and courtroom culture.
To tackle these issues, the NBA proposed a suite of reforms, including enhanced case management, greater judicial specialisation in areas such as taxation, insolvency, and intellectual property, expansion of judicial capacity, uniform enforcement of practice directions, deepening of judicial technology through e-filing and electronic case management systems, firm enforcement of court orders, and wider use of ADR mechanisms.
The NBA President also pledged the Association’s commitment to ethical re-orientation at the Bar through stronger disciplinary mechanisms and continuous legal education, stressing that lawyers must remain partners in justice, not obstacles to it.
Osigwe reaffirmed the NBA’s resolve to advocate for adequate funding, institutional autonomy, and protection of the Federal High Court from all forms of interference, while calling on all arms of government to respect court decisions and uphold the Constitution.
He further urged the Chief Judge to ensure monthly inspection of federal detention facilities by judges, as required under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, expressing hope that addressing the abuse of holding charges would significantly reduce the number of inmates awaiting trial.
In his conclusion, Osigwe drew attention to the yet-to-be-commissioned Federal High Court building in Lagos, describing it as a critical national asset whose delayed use continues to burden judges, lawyers, and litigants in Nigeria’s busiest judicial hub.
As the new legal year begins, he called for a collective recommitment by the Bench and the Bar to courageous and independent adjudication, efficient justice delivery, professional excellence, and renewed public confidence in the courts.
“The Nigerian people are watching,” Osigwe said, “with enduring hope that their courts will rise to the demands of this moment.”He concluded by wishing the Federal High Court
a productive and successful legal year and offering prayers for wisdom, strength, and courage for the judges as they dispense justice in service of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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