Lawyers Urge FCT Chief Judge to Speed Up Case Assignments, Citing Delays Impacting Litigants
Several lawyers have called on Justice Hussein Baba, Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, to expedite the assignment of numerous cases pending before the court. They allege that a significant number of cases, primarily from vacation courts during the annual court break from July to September, remain unassigned.
According to the lawyers, Justice Baba has been holding up to 500 cases since the court’s resumption from its annual vacation on September 16, 2024. They contend that this delay has left many litigants in uncertainty, with some facing substantial losses due to the inaction on their cases.
Expressing disappointment on condition of anonymity, one lawyer remarked, “One finds it difficult to understand why matters forwarded to the CJ from vacation courts are yet to be assigned to judges. Situations like this cripple the administration of justice.” The lawyer speculated that the backlog may stem from an overwhelming workload for the CJ, contributing to the delay in case reassignment.
Another lawyer suggested, “I think the CJ of the FCT is overburdened with too much work being the Administrative Judge of the entire FCT. He may do well by delegating issues of reassignment to his number two judge.” The lawyer warned that the prolonged delay, now approaching two months, could severely impact the justice system within the FCT.
