EXCLUSIVE: Appeal Court Struggles Under Deluge of 38,000 Pending Case Files
By Ranti Thomas, Wellington Jopelo
The Court of Appeal in Lagos is probing loss of case files believed to have been stolen from a deluge of an unprecedented over 38,000 case files which had piled up in the court.
Indeed, the pile-up of the over 38,000 cases had forced the court to embrace a new storage system in six 48-foot massive shipping containers, of about 12 meters long, 2.4 meters wide, and 2.6 meters high, large enough to hold thousands of documents.
However, in spite of this huge investment, the containers have not only been filled up, but indications are also that this storage system make the case files susceptible to increasing theft.
The Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Yargata Nimpar, who confirmed that more than 38,000 case files are currently pending in Lagos, however vowed to unmask the thieves who stole the files.
According to the judge, all case files should “see the daylight,” which means they should be called and addressed in the open court.
She explained that this will afford the court to decide on whether the cases are not serious or where parties are not actively pursuing their matters to be deleted in the open court to clear space and improve efficiency.
The judge emphasized that accountability and efficiency must be central to resolving the backlog, adding that judges, court staff, and lawyers are all expected to cooperate to ensure that cases are processed fairly and timely.
However, to unmask the thieves of the case files and also permanently solve the challenge of the backlog of cases, the court has set up committees not only to review the backlog issues regardingthe case files, but to also come up with fresh strategies to handle the deluge of casesmore effectively.
The committees are expected to adopt a different approach to organizing and processing the files to prevent future accumulation.
Presently, the court now faces the difficult and herculean task of unmasking and disciplining culprits ofthe missing files in order to deter future occurrence and clearing the backlog in time, especially as new cases continue to be filed daily.
With the current situation, observers are concerned that judges who are already overstressed would be put to more task, especially as the Court of Appeal is almost perpetually faced with a shortage of judicial manpower to handle the volume of cases.
The observers also say that there are, of course, other related challenges at the court, including security which has been a consistent issue. Currently, only one of the two entrances to the court is operational. The second gate has been closed for unspecified reasons, prompting appeals from lawyers to reopen it. They suggest a controlled system that allows access while still limiting unnecessary traffic into the court.
Also, experts say that addressing the backlog issue will require not just administrative reforms but also technological solutions, such as digitizing files, implementing better record-keeping systems, and enhancing coordination between judges and registry staff.
In particular, lawyers and stakeholders say they are watching closely to see if the two panels set up can handle the problems effectively, or whether stronger administrative measures will be required.
However, while the presiding judge, Justice Nimpar, has been praised for her strict and disciplined approach to the court’s challenges, evidently shown in her leadership style, relationship with junior lawyers on courtroom etiquette, language, dressing, and general conduct, the situation at the Court of Appeal in Lagos said to be a wake-up call for the Nigerian judiciary on the importance of proper case management, discipline, and security to ensure that justice is delivered efficiently.