About Us

The sprawling administrative complex housing the High Court of Justice, Edo State is situate on Sapele Road, Benin City, Edo State.
The High Court of Justice Edo State as it is now known first came into existence in 1963 as the Mid-western Region High Court. The first Chief Justice of the then Mid-western Region High Court was Hon. Justice Stephen Peter .J. Thomas. Later Mid-western Region was renamed Bendel State and with this renaming the High Court of Justice icon_abecame known and addressed as High Court of Justice, Bendel State. In 1991, 2 states were carved out of Bendel State of Nigeria to wit: Edo and Delta States. Today what used to be the High Court of Justice of Bendel State is now known as High Court of Justice of Edo State of Nigeria.

From its inception as the High Court of Justice Mid-western Region till date, a total of 15 Heads of Court have occupied the office of the Chief Justice / Chief Judge and 4 Presidents of Customary Court of Appeal. The name of the current Acting Chief Judge of Edo State is Hon. Justice Daniel Iyobosa Okungbowa.

The High Court of Edo State is a superior Court of record and has 29 Judicial Divisions. They are all together 25 Hon. Judges of the High Court of Edo State. Performing complementary role in the administration of Justice in Edo State are the Presiding Magistrates and Presidents of the Area / District Courts who preside over the various Magisterial Districts and Area / District Courts in the State. The Magistrates’ Courts and Area / District Courts are inferior courts of records and also Courts of summary trial. As at date, the number of Magistrates in Edo State
stands at 42, the Area Customary Courts have 20 Presidents and 53 members while the District Customary Courts have 27 Presidents and 53 members.

Together, the High Courts, Magistrates’ Courts, Area / District Courts carry out Judicial functions of the Judiciary in Edo State.

The Hon. Chief Judge who is the Head of the Edo State Judiciary runs the administration of the Edo State Judiciary in conjunction with his principal officers. The team of principal officers is headed by the Chief Registrar of the High Court who is the head of Administration as well as the Accounting Officer. Other principal officers who work closely with the Chief Registrar are the Chief Inspector of Courts, Deputy Chief Registrar (Admin), Deputy Chief Registrar (Special Duties), Deputy Chief Registrar (Litigation), Deputy Chief Registrar (ICT), Director of Admin & Supplies, Director of Finance & Accounts, Director of Probate and Director of Library services.