President, the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, has cancelled this year’s annual vacation for appellate court justices.
A statement by the head of media at the court, Saadatu Musa, disclosed that Bulkachuwa conveyed her decision to the justices via a two-page circular transmitted to them on July 2.
The decision was informed by the number of petitions that arose from the 2019 general election and the time frame allowed by law to handle them.
The statement read: “Justice Bulkachuwa noted that since these appeals were time-bound, and would arise within the period of the court’s vacation on July-October, the need, therefore, arises for them to be heard and determined within the said period.
“To enable the court meet these targets, the President of the Court of Appeal gave explicit directives to the presiding justices of the various divisions to draw up a roster in consultation with his lordship to allow the justices with medical appointments or other pressing family issues travel for not more than 15 days within the period.
“The roster that would be drawn should be arranged in such a manner that at any given time, there is a three-member panel on ground in every division to hear and determine appeals. “In divisions with three justices, only one justice can travel at a time and the office of the President of the Court of Appeal is to be immediately notified to form a panel in that justice’s absence should the need arise.”
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