Kogi High Court of Justice is to unveil new Civil Procedure Rules to guide court proceedings, effective from the next Legal Year.
The Chief Judge, Josiah Majebi made this known during the inauguration of the second quarter Appeals Session of the court at the judiciary headquarters in Lokoja, Thursday.
Majebi said the new rules, reviewed by a committee headed by Justice Abdul Awulu, addressed the necessary grey areas in the existing rules of the court.
The chief judge said the implementation of the new rules requires certain mechanisms which would be put in place before the expiration of the current legal year.
During the presentation of the rules, the committee chairman highlighted key areas that have been improved upon including the abolition of pre-trial conferences, virtual proceedings, e-filing.
Others are improvement in probate administration, general review of fees and the adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution in certain matters.
“These changes are designed to respond to the requirements of contemporary adjudication in courts with similar jurisdictions.
“It is my belief that the new civil procedure rules will improve High Court efficiency and effectiveness in dispensing justice fairly to the people.”
He appreciated members of the review committee, which also included representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and the state Ministry of Justice for doing justice to the review.
“I believe that we all know the importance of collaboration between the judiciary and the Bar in ensuring the smooth operation of the court.
“Therefore, I urge the lawyers that will be appearing before the panels to abide by procedural ethics during the appeal sessions.
“I expect them to prioritise timely justice delivery and support the judges to ensure that cases are disposed of within stipulated time frames,” he said.
Justice Majebi stressed that the judges had made significant sacrifice of relocating to the various courts they were posted across the state for the success of the appeals session and urged lawyers to complement their efforts by making quick dispensation of justice their mantra.
According to him, the inauguration of the appeal session marks a significant step in the state judiciary’s efforts to enhance the administration and ensure timely delivery of justice.
He assured the Bar that the rule of law, fairness and justice would always prevail in all adjudicatory processes of the state.
Appeal panels would be sitting in six judicial divisions of the state with two panels each in Lokoja, Ankpa and Idah.
They would hear 75 cases, mostly fresh ones, as the chief judge said the quarterly appeal sessions have significantly disposed the backlog of cases he inherited.
