Delta Assembly Passes Bills to Increase High Court, Customary Appeal Judges

The Delta State House of Assembly has passed two amendment bills seeking to strengthen the administration of justice in the state by increasing the number of judges in the High Court and Customary Court of Appeal.

The House also advanced the proposed Delta State Payment of Thirteenth-Month Salary Bill, 2026, passing it through second reading during Wednesday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor.

The two judicial bills are the Delta State High Court Amendment Bill, 2026 and the Delta State Customary Court of Appeal Amendment Bill, 2026.

Delta High Court Judges to Rise from 45 to 50

Leading the debate on the High Court Amendment Bill, the Acting Leader of the House, Hon. Charles Emetulu, said the proposed amendment would help address the growing number of pending cases and improve the efficiency of justice delivery.

He explained that the amendment seeks to increase the number of High Court judges from 45 to 50, including the Chief Judge.

Lawmakers who contributed to the debate supported the proposal, saying additional judges would reduce the workload on the existing judicial officers, improve access to justice and facilitate faster determination of cases across the state.

The bill subsequently scaled its third reading after the House suspended relevant rules and was passed.

Customary Court of Appeal Judges to Increase to 12

The House also unanimously supported the Delta State Customary Court of Appeal Amendment Bill, 2026.

The amendment seeks to increase the number of judges of the Customary Court of Appeal from nine to 12.

Lawmakers said the increase would strengthen the court’s capacity and promote the efficient and timely administration of justice.

Following the suspension of relevant rules, the bill was read for the third time and subsequently passed by the House.

13th-Month Salary Bill Scales Second Reading

Meanwhile, the proposed Delta State Payment of Thirteenth-Month Salary Bill, 2026 generated strong support from lawmakers during debate on its second reading.

Members commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for the initiative, describing it as a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to improving the welfare and living standards of workers in the state.

The lawmakers said if enacted into law, the payment would become an entitlement rather than a privilege, while also serving as a festive incentive capable of boosting workers’ morale and reducing financial pressure during the festive period.

They further claimed that the legislation would make Delta State the first state in Nigeria to have a law backing the payment of a 13th-month salary.

However, the bill has not yet become law. Following the second-reading debate, Speaker Guwor referred it to the House Committee on Establishment, Ethics and Privileges for further legislative scrutiny and directed the committee to report back at the next sitting.

The Speaker thanked lawmakers for their contributions, cooperation and support, particularly in facilitating the consideration and passage of the judicial amendment bills.