An NGO, Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), on Wednesday, said had deployed speech-to-text devices to 33 courts across some states, including the FCT, to enhance court proceedings and case management.
Chief Executive Officer of PPDC, Lucy Abagi, stated this when she led a delegation to Apo High Court to demonstrate the Court Administration and Case Management (CACM) project during the centre’s ongoing second Annual Parley in Abuja.
Abagi listed the beneficiary states to include: Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Abia and FCT, among others.
While stating that the intervention had been ongoing for three years, she acknowledged the fact that the issues in the justice sector did not arise overnight.
“The intervention has received support from the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, allowing expansion to two new states.
“Each state is receiving additional courts, with a total of 33 courts being deployed, highlighting the incremental progress toward full digitization,” she said.
Abagi emphasised the need for state governments and stakeholders to contribute counterpart funds to support the digitisation efforts.
According to her, without government intervention, the problems in the justice system will persist, in spite of the ongoing efforts.
The chief executive officer said that the goal was to digitise more than 50 per cent of the courts in Nigeria within the next five years, with government support.
On the benefits of digitisation of court operations, the Board Chair of PPDC, Mr Chibuzor Ekwekwuo, said it would prevent issues like disappearance of case files, as digital copies would always be available.
“The digital scheduling system allows lawyers to be informed quickly about changes, reducing unnecessary travels.
“Digitisation enables prisoners to attend hearings without physical presence, improving the efficiency of court proceedings,” he stated.
Ekwekwuo said that addressing technical and infrastructure issues was crucial before addressing human elements in the justice system.
He explained that before the digitisation, obtaining records of proceedings could take months, involving multiple steps and delays.
“But now, recording of a court proceeding is available to the judge and court staff within four minutes.
“The goal of the intervention is to reduce the time spent in the court system and ensure access to justice for all, regardless of their socio-economic status,” he added.
The board chairman reiterated the organisation’s commitment to achieving this level of digitisation to address the root causes of delays and corruption in the justice system.
Similarly, the Chief Judge of Plateau, Justice David Mann, expressed excitement about being part of the tour, underscoring the positive development of digital recording in the judicial system.
Mann highlighted the manual operations of courts, including longhand recording and manual scheduling, often resulting in risks and delays in the justice system.
According to him, digitisation of court records and scheduling is the panacea to the identified lapses, thus improving efficiency of court proceedings. (NAN).
READ ALSO:
- Comedian Funnybros Announces Arrival Of First Child With Partner
- ‘No time for distraction‘, MC Oluomo declares as he resumes office amid sack
- Netizens Praise Iyabo Ojo For Visiting Tope Osoba After Breast Cancer Surgery
- CAFWCL: Boumedhi Praises Mazembe Players After Win Over Edo Queens
- Chidinma Adetshina to step back from pageants after Miss Universe feat
