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Before the Colonization of Nigeria and the eventual establishment of the British system of justice administration, all the ethnic nationalities in the area had evolved their own unique and divergent traditional methods of dispute resolution. However, the introduction of the British Legal system imposed the English common law doctrine on the people throughout the era of Colonialism. This was subsequently adopted by Nigeria soon after independence. Consequently, the Nigerian Legal system, as constituted today, is a mixture of the English common law and customary law. In discussing the court's activities, this paper raises the following overarching question: What compelling reasons influenced the establishment of the Customary Court of Appeal in Plateau State? How did the activities of the court impact the administration of justice in the state? What challenges, if any, did the court encounter in administering justice within the period under review? The essay relies on both primary and secondary data in its methodology. The findings revealed that, apart from bringing justice closer to the doorstep of litigants, its establishment has further helped decongest the traffic of appeals to the High Court of Justice and has also impacted land matters that would have led to loss of lives and properties. Further findings revealed that one major challenge that has bedevilled the system's smooth running has been the lack of financial autonomy, which has hampered the court's performance of its statutory functions.

Change, Continuity, Judicial Institutions, Customary Court of Appeal, Plateau State,