By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
President Bola Tinubu has forwarded two bills to the Senate, seeking to increase the number of justices of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court.
The two bills were conveyed in a letter read by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday in Abuja, just as senators reconvened from their Christmas and New Year break.
The bills propose to amend the existing Court of Appeal Act, 2004, and the Federal High Court Act, 2004, to increase the number of justices in both courts, primarily.
For the Court of Appeal, which currently has 70 justices, President Bola Tinubu wants the number increased to 110.
The bill also provides for the electronic and visual transmission of the proceedings of the court, as well as the updating of operational terminology in the current law.
The President made a similar proposal to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Federal High Court by raising the number of justices from 70 to 90.
The Federal High Court Act originally provided for 50 justices until 2009, when the number was increased to 70.
In the new amendment sought by Tinubu, he requested the Senate to increase the number to 90 justices owing to the more work load the court would carry from now on.
According to the President, new challenges, including terrorism and taxation, have made the need to have more justices with professional competence in those areas compelling.
Tinubu also forwarded the name of Oyewole Joseph for confirmation as a Justice of the Supreme Court.