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The Supreme Court whose decisions are final is the highest judicial
authority in the land. The said court consists of seventy judges
operating through panels each composed of three judges presided over
by the most senior thereof. The decisions, which are reached by the
majority of opinion, are subject to revision only if and when the
chief justice deems that an infringement of (sharia laws) had taken
place. In this case he convenes a five Supreme Court judges panel
the majority of whom not must have participated in reaching the
disputed decision in order to receive the matter. The court disposes
of appeals against the judgments of the courts of appeal in civil,
criminal and personal matter cases.
It has a preliminary jurisdiction of a single judge to consider
appeals against the administrative decision of the president of the
republic of the governors and of the federal and state ministers.
Appeals from the decision of this single judge’s court are
dealt with by panel of three Supreme Court judges.
Members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president of the republic
on the advice of the supreme council of the judiciary from amongst
members of the courts of appeal or other persons satisfying the
qualifications and the required conditions.
Four circuits of the Supreme Court operate outside the capital
in the western, central and eastern states.
There are one hundred and thirty appeal court judges who function through 28
appeal circuits each consisting of three judges presided over by the
most senior thereof. The decisions are reached by the majority y of
opinion. They deal with appeals against the preliminary and
appellate decision of the public court , the preliminary judgments
of the first grade judges courts in civil , criminal and personal
matter cases . they are endowed with the power to revise their own
decision within the limits set by law while they also have
preliminary jurisdiction of single judge’s court to revise the
administrative authorities . There are 28 appeal circuit distributed
among the 26 states.
The public court is the court of a single judge, the preliminary
jurisdiction of which is defined by law in civil , criminal and
personal matter cases . it also enjoys an appellate jurisdiction
against judgments of magistrate of third and second grade in
criminal cases.
The number of public court judges is 133.
District
courts of the first, Second and third grades
There are 397 court of first instance distributed all
over the country. Their power are prescribed by the civil procedure
act of 1983 and the code of criminal procedure of 1991 .the chief
justice defines their pecuniary powers in civil cases and their
penal powers vis-à-vis the imposing of fine also criminal cases .
they also dispose of the matters summarily and non summarily
depending on the merits of cases.

These are popular court whose members are chosen from amongst citizens of
good conduct who are well known <well reputed and reasonably well
off in rural areas their membership includes tribal chief, Omdas,
sheikhs, and Nazirs. The distinctive feature of these courts is
their application of customs, which are not inconsistent with the
general law or with public policy. They resort in most cases to
conciliation and accord in solving disputes over areas of pasture,
water and cultivation .the competence of each court is specified in
its warrant of establishment issued py the chief justice. There
are98town courts,67intermediate courtsand897rural courts which add
up to a total of 1062courts.these courts are situate in remote areas
particularly those where there are no district courts .town courts ,
as their name implies, are found in towns and deal mostly with
simple cases, referred to them by the competent judge in the
locality.
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