KALU PUSHES TO END CASE DELAYS IN NIGERIA WITH NEW CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s clogged judicial system, citing a backlog of 243,253 cases in the country’s superior courts, including nearly 200,000 civil and over 43,000 criminal proceedings. In a keynote address at the 2025 Law Week of the NBA Abuja Branch, Kalu announced that he is sponsoring a constitutional amendment to impose definitive timelines for the hearing and determination of civil and criminal cases.
The proposed bill — “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to Set Time within which Civil and Criminal Cases and Matters are Heard and Determined at Trials and Appellate Courts” — aims to compel superior courts to deliver judgment within 270 days of filing, and inferior courts or tribunals within 210 days. According to Kalu, delays that stretch from ten to twenty years have weakened public trust and undermined the rule of law.
The Deputy Speaker emphasized that the future of Nigeria’s judicial system rests in leveraging technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), to optimize legal research and case management. He stated that AI has the potential to transform Nigeria’s legal ecosystem, making it more efficient, accessible, and conducive for economic and social progress.
Kalu advocated for the establishment of comprehensive AI legislation, pointing out that Nigeria’s AI ecosystem currently operates within fragmented legal frameworks. He called for a dedicated AI policy and an AI regulatory sandbox akin to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s approach for financial technology, allowing for real‑time testing and refining of regulations.
With Nigeria ranking 186 out of 190 nations for contract enforcement, Kalu asserted that a digitized and automated judicial system would reduce case backlog drastically, build global investor confidence, and deepen the role of the legal profession as a catalyst for economic and social development.