In anticipation of suits that would soon flood the Supreme Court sequel to judgments by various election tribunals across the federation, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, Tuesday, issued new ‘Practice Directions’ that he said must be followed by the apex court in determining such cases.
A statement that was issued by his Media Adviser, Muhammad Adamu yesterday, said the decision was in line with the determination of the CJN to reform the judiciary with a view to regaining public confidence in verdicts of the apex court.
According to the statement, “The new guide is cited as Supreme Court Election Appeals Practice Directions 2011, and is issued in the exercise of the powers conferred on the CJN by Sections 233 (2) (e) and 236 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Order 10 Rule 2 of the Supreme Court Rules 1999 (as amended).
“The 11-point ‘directions’ which is to be observed in the Supreme Court when hearing election appeals from the Court of Appeal, cover, among others, procedures and filing regulations for notices of appeal, rules of service on notices and records of proceedings.
“It also contains timing regulations for Oral Briefs, filing and service of written Briefs of Argument, guidelines on Cross-Appeals and Respondent’s Notices including duration for arguments, length of briefs, written submissions/or replies.
“Of particular radical review, Cross Appeals (or Respondent’s Notices) are now not only to be argued together with the appeal as one case, but they are also to be disposed of within the same time allotted for the case.
“ The new rules also include payable fees/security for costs as prescribed by the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and further deposits as cost for service of notices/other expenditures.”
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