By EBERE AGOZIE

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on Monday mandated judges nationwide to adopt active case management strategies to eliminate prolonged litigation and restore public trust in the judiciary.

Kekere-Ekun made the call at the opening of the National Workshop on Case Management for Judges of the Superior Courts of Record, organised by the National Judicial Institute on Abuja.

The workshop, she explained, is designed to equip judges with practical strategies on docket control, electronic case management, scheduling practices, judgment delivery timelines and other measures aimed at enhancing justice delivery.

She said the effectiveness of the judiciary is measured not only by the quality of its judgments but also by the speed and efficiency with which cases are concluded.

The CJN stressed that prolonged litigation, repeated adjournments, procedural abuse and poor scheduling practices continue to undermine access to justice, increase the cost of litigation and weaken public trust in the courts.

“To the ordinary litigant, justice delayed often translates into justice denied and delays also create uncertainty for businesses and investors while eroding confidence in the rule of law.”

Kekere-Ekun noted that effective case management has become a defining indicator of judicial performance worldwide, urging judges to exercise greater control over proceedings, enforce timelines and make effective use of pre-trial procedures to reduce case backlogs.

She encouraged judicial officers to embrace technology, including electronic filing, virtual hearings, digital case-tracking systems and automated scheduling tools.

She described them as essential instruments for improving efficiency while maintaining fairness and due process.

Drawing lessons from jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Singapore and South Africa, she said active judicial leadership and structured case management have significantly improved court efficiency and reduced delays.

She acknowledged that increasing commercial activities, constitutional litigation and rising public expectations have placed greater demands on Nigeria’s judicial system, making continuous reforms and procedural discipline imperative.

Kekere-Ekun urged participants to reflect on existing practices, identify procedural bottlenecks and embrace reforms that promote efficiency without compromising fairness.

She expressed confidence that the workshop would provide practical solutions for reducing delays, improving judicial productivity and building a judiciary that is efficient, technologically responsive and worthy of public trust.

Earlier, the Administrator of National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Babatunde Adejumu, called on judges of the Superior Courts of Record to adopt proactive case management practices as a key strategy for improving judicial efficiency and ensuring timely justice delivery across Nigeria.

According to Adejumo, effective case management is essential to reducing case backlogs, eliminating administrative bottlenecks, and preventing unnecessary delays in court proceedings.

He said that modern case management requires judges to move beyond their traditional adjudicative role by actively supervising cases from filing to conclusion.

He explained that this approach enhances access to justice, promotes fairness, and strengthens public confidence in the judicial system.

Adejumo said that judicial education and leadership training remained a critical tool for equipping judges with contemporary case management skills.

The NJI administrator encouraged participants to engage actively in the sessions and contribute meaningfully to discussions that would improve the administration of justice in their respective courts. (NAN)

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