Chief Justice of the Federation, Walter Onnoghen, recently announced July 16 as deadline for stoppage of manual servicing of court processes and other forms of communications amongst legal practitioners in the country. KEHINDE OSASONA reports the divergent views by a cross section of lawyers on the new Email Project
It is worrisome that Judges in Nigeria are not equipped with modern equipments as obtainable in most jurisdictions where it is done electronically while opponents also respond online.
However, power outage and network problems might work against both court proceedings and the new ‘email project’ initiative.
“I am not a pessimist but the idea of email project recently introduced by the CJN is a function of network and once there is no network, it is not possible to generate anything. I am afraid, we are not there yet.
Afolabi Fashanu, SAN
Considering the number of cases at hand across courts in Nigeria, I think still using old method in justice dispensation via recording of proceedings verbatim in our courts, is archaic and, it will not help the judicial system.
Rather, we should make do with the Email project that has been introduced to enhance the entire processes, i urge our colleagues to embrace it as a way of embracing modernity.
Manzuma Issa, Kwara NBA Chair
The Email project or E-filing system as the case may be, is a step towards the right direction. We all know that virtually everybody is going digital now and there is nothing that should stop the judicial system too from embracing it in this form.
However, we need to put in place quite a number of structures in such a way that it would not now be counter-productive, I mean going by our environment system and standard. The good news is that it will make the dispensation of justice faster with less paper work. What it means is that I can communicate with clients and opponents from anywhere in the world.
Irrespective of any shortcomings envisaged by practitioners, I still think that it should not stop us from making advancement because network fails in other climes too.
Bola Olootu (Senior Lawyer)
The idea of bringing in Email filing to enhance court processes was a beautiful one. The truth is; in Nigeria today, we are growing and as a result, our judicial system too must grow. We have to start moving at the same pace with developed nations from where we copied some of these things in the first place.
In essence, when some innovations are now brought in, we need to embrace it and contribute our quota to see how it works, because we cannot afford to be stagnant.
Barr. Donald Nimbe
It is very nice idea because the issue here is that at times, the process of court leads to loss of documents and other hitches, like that in the course of transmission from one court to another. Even at Appeal Court, sometimes if you want to file an appeal, there is delay from the lower court to the upper court. But, with this system, everything will go normal.
Let us start the execution first before tackling any hitches likely to emanate. It won’t be without any though.
Barr. Yakubu Waziri
The Email project is a welcome development. It is timely in the sense that we are now in the computer age. If we now choose to use electronic system via an electronic propelled system of filing court processes, I think it is a good one.
Don’t also forget that what the CJN, as an experienced jurist was trying to ensure here is that time would be safe and consistency will be enhanced through the innovation.
Mind you, for every novel idea, there must be initial hitches, limitations and trials associated with technology challenges, but litigants and other stakeholders will later celebrate this new initiative.
Sunday Ijiga, Esq
The truth is; the way things are going in this profession now, anything that will make court processes go faster should be embraced. Imagine cases being in court for ages without movement, coupled with cases of adjournments being experienced daily. I think it is good.
As for network problems, I also think whenever one is in the midst of anything new, he should be ready to adjust to it.
Barr. Bello Abdulhamid
The Email project is a good, inevitable and I believe it would enable us file our court processes via an electronic means as obtainable in other jurisdictions. Don’t forget that filing process makes judicial process a bit tasking and expensive as well as time-consuming, especially if you have clients or opponents residing outside the states, who have to file in another jurisdiction. He has to contend with travelling expenses and other logistic demands.
All these would be taken care of now and cases would be filed faster. As for the impediments likely to crop-up, we simply need to review our rules in order to accommodate new mode of filing.
Barr. Yusuf Usman
