City Crime
Rivers Chief Judge Lists Gains Of Judiciary Automation
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Hon Justice Iyaye Laminkara, says the automation of the Rivers State Judiciary in the last one year has greatly enhanced access to justice delivery in the state.
Justice Laminkara said this in a press briefing to mark the one year anniversary of the automation of the Rivers State Judiciary in Port Harcourt.
The Chief Judge said the situation had brought positive impacts to the state judiciary.
Represented by Vivienne Kobani Buzugbe, she particularly said the situation had made it possible for lawyers to file cases from any part of the world, while virtual/remote court hearings was now a feature of the state judiciary.
She equally said the system also encouraged online application for affidavit in the public.
According to her, a category of a land related matters had been done. This is such that upon conducting a search, the system would give the status of the land to be transacted on specially to help buyers know if a parcel of land is encumbered.”
Laminkara said the system had led to the migration of over 90 percent of cases especially those filed in 2019 in the high court and added that those cases could now be easily accessed by the lawyers registrars judges and magistrates from the commission platform.
She also said court room technology (CRT) had been deployed in the two pilot courts to help the judges to effectively record proceedings.
Also speaking the Special Adviser to the Rivers State government on Information Communications Technology (ICT), Mr Ibifuro Asawo said the Rivers State judiciary was now a model in the country.
Asawo said over 1600 lawyers had been linked to the platform a situation which according to him has reduced quackery in the system.
Also speaking, a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Callistus Urien said lawyers in Rivers State should embrace the system to improve their practice.