By Nosakhare Agbonigiarhuoyi
In 2022, it is safe to say that living without technology is almost impossible and the law profession or the administration of justice is not left out.
It is in view of this that the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, charged judges to take advantage of technology for efficiency and effectiveness in legal processes.
He gave this charge on Thursday, September 22, 2022 to flag-off a 2-day seminar for judges in the State, titled: “Technology and its Impact on Legal Practice”, at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA).
In his remarks, the governor was excited about the training, suggesting that it will expose judges to new ways of working occasioned by the advancement in technology.
“This training aligns perfectly with the overarching objective of our government to place technology at the heart of our operations so that we can ensure seamless public service that is fast, reliable, responsive and efficient.
“The import and impact is that the Edo State judiciary is now going digital, starting from this legal year.
“The deployment of technology for workers in the judicial system is a priority for us because, for us in the executive arm of government, we are almost completing our end-to-end deployment of technology in the way we work.”
“We have procured high-end equipment for electronic reporting of our court proceedings, which we hope will improve the delivery time for judgments by your lordships.
“We hope that you will be the last set of judges in Edo state that will have to use manual records in delivering your judgments”, he added.
Mr Obaseki also encouraged the judges to take advantage of the amenities in the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), which he said was built to reengineer a new crop of workers in Edo State, and to equip them with contemporary skills which are required for optimum performance in the 21st Century work environment.
In his opening remarks, the Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon. Justice Joe Acha, commended the Governor for his undisguised support and assistance to the State’s judiciary, and for the enabling environment that he has created for the judicial arm of government to thrive.
“Over time, the legal profession has been well known for its conservatism and unrepentant adherence to tradition and precedents which a lot of its apostles believe must be preserved in order to maintain the prestige of the profession.
“Edo State Judiciary is determined to distance itself from the above views and perception. We have therefore changed the narrative.”
“In this bid, we now have a situation where, in line with global best practice, rather than deploy the old method of flipping through large amount of heavy books in search of cases, we presently speedily, through access to the internet and modern legal softwares, get in touch with court cases and decisions from anywhere in the world simply by logging into websites that keep a legal database or electronic law reports”, he added.
According to the chief judge, this approach has resulted in efficiency and easier information retrieval, and in the long run, reduced stress and lack of transparency.
The seminar is scheduled to end on Friday, September 23, 2022.
