LEGAL PRINCIPLE: CIVIL PROCEDURE – Jurisdiction – Competence of Court – Court Lacks Jurisdiction to Entertain Reliefs Not Related to Claim Before It
PRINCIPLE STATEMENT
Furthermore, since the reliefs sought are not in respect of or directly related to a claim before the court, the court is without competence and jurisdiction to hear it, since it is not in respect of a claim before it. It is therefore in such a circumstance unnecessary to inquire into the existence of a legal right enabling the grant of the relief.
RATIO DECIDENDI (SOURCE)
Per Karibi-Whyte, JSC, in Adenuga & Ors v. Odumeru & Ors (2001) NLC-432000(SC) at p. 10; Paras A–B.
"Furthermore, since the reliefs sought are not in respect of or directly related to a claim before the court, the court is without competence and jurisdiction to hear it, since it is not in respect of a claim before it. It is therefore in such a circumstance unnecessary to inquire into the existence of a legal right enabling the grant of the relief."
EXPLANATION / SCOPE
A court lacks jurisdiction to entertain reliefs not related to a claim properly before it. Jurisdiction is invoked by the claim in the writ and pleadings. Reliefs must be connected to that claim. If the relief sought does not relate to any pending claim, the court has no competence to hear it. It is unnecessary to examine whether the applicant has a legal right—there is no jurisdictional foundation. The principle prevents parties from using motions to introduce independent claims without filing substantive actions. The court cannot grant relief in a vacuum. There must be a live controversy between parties that the relief addresses. Jurisdiction follows the claim, not the converse.