By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The Federal High Court of Nigeria Chief Judge, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, has suspended the annual redeployment of judges till further notice.
The redeployment, which began after the 2019/2020 legal year ceremonies, would have been completed on or before the 2020 Easter vacation but was stalled due to COVID-19 pandemic that created national lockdown which affected all sectors, including the judiciary.
In a circular dated July 13, 2020, the Chief Judge, said that the suspension of the redeployment is as a result of the effects of coronavirus pandemic and therefore
directed all judges to resume hearing of all cases pending before them.
The circular, titled ‘Suspension of transfer of Judges’, reads:
Your Lordships are by this circular informed that in view of the difficulties and uncertainties brought about by the emergence of the Covid-19 Pandemic, posting of Judges has been suspended till further notice.
“In the meantime, Judges should attend to ALL cases pending before them.”
Recall that due to imminent transfer of judges, the Chief Judge directed that judges should not commence trial of new matters pending before them to avoid starting the case afresh (de novo)should any such judge be affected by the redeployment.