Supreme Court Act

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Establishment of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, etc.

SECTION

1. Short title.
2. Interpretation.

PART I

General

1. Number of 1ustices and tenure of office of Justices.
2. Precedence of Justices.
3. Salaries and allowances of Justices of the Supreme Court.
4. Officers of Supreme Court.
5. Seal of Supreme Court.
6. Process of Supreme Court.
7. Practice and procedure.
8. Number of Justices of the Supreme Court.
9. Powers of single justice of the Supreme Court.
10. Reserved judgments.
11. Trial with assessors.
12. Costs.
13. Right of audience.
14. Jurisdiction to hear appeals in certain matters.

PART II

Original jurisdiction

1. Provisions applying to exercise of original jurisdiction.
2. Witnesses in causes heard in original jurisdiction.
3. Power of transfer in certain cases.
4. Proceedings between the Federation and States.

PART III

Appeals in civil cases

1. Application of Part III.
2. General power of the Supreme Court.
3. Wrong ruling as to sufficiency of stamp.
4. Stay of execution.

PART IV

Appeals in criminal cases from the Court of Appeal

SECTION

1. Application of Part IV.
2. Determination of an appeal.

PART V

Procedure

1. Time for appealing.
2. Legal assistance to appellant.
3. Supplemental powers of court.
4. Right of appellant to be present.
5. Admission of appellant to bail, and date of sentence.
6. Procedure with respect to frivolous appeals on question of law.

PART VI

Miscellaneous and repeals 
33. Power to send back a case for amendment.

An Act to amend and consolidate the law relating to the Supreme Court.

[1960 No 12.]

[2nd June, 1960]

[Commencement.]

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Supreme Court Act.

1. Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-

“appellant” includes a person who has been convicted and desires to appeal under the Constitution or under any Act or law;

“cause” includes any action, suit or other original proceeding between a plaintiff and a defendant;

“Constitution” means the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and any Constitution substituted for it;

“court below” means the court from which an appeal is brought;

“judgment” includes decision or order;

“Justice” means the Chief Justice of Nigeria or any other Justice of the Supreme Court and any person lawfully acting as such;