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Difficulty: HardThe Judiciary: Functions, Hierarchy of Courts, and Judicial Review

Arrange the following judicial bodies in Nigeria in ascending order of judicial hierarchy, starting from the lowest subordinate court to the apex court of final appeal:

  1. 1District / Customary Court
  2. 2State High Court
  3. 3Court of Appeal
  4. 4Supreme Court of Nigeria

Answer

The correct sequence from lowest to highest hierarchy is: District / Customary Court, State High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The Nigerian judicial system is structured hierarchically under the Constitution. At the base are subordinate courts such as District or Customary Courts. Appeals or matters of greater legal weight proceed to State High Courts (superior courts of record). Appeals from High Courts go to the Court of Appeal, and final determination rests exclusively with the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the subordinate court of limited jurisdiction.
District / Customary Court is at the base of the judicial hierarchy.
Subordinate courts possess limited original jurisdiction and sit below superior courts of record.
2
Identify the trial court of general superior jurisdiction.
State High Court occupies the second level above subordinate courts.
High Courts are superior courts of record that hear appeals from subordinate courts and exercise original jurisdiction over major matters.
3
Identify the intermediate appellate court.
Court of Appeal occupies the third position above High Courts.
The Court of Appeal receives appeals directly from High Courts, the Federal High Court, and specialized customary or Sharia appellate courts.
4
Identify the apex court of final jurisdiction.
Supreme Court of Nigeria is at the top of the ordering.
Under the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, the Supreme Court is the highest judicial body from which no further appeal lies.

Key Concept

Nigerian Judicial Hierarchy and Appellate Structure
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Topics

The Judiciary: Functions, Hierarchy of Courts, and Judicial Review

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