Investment Tribunal Partners NJC on e-Filing Portal to Ease Case Management
Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
The Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST) has entered into partnership with the National Judicial Commission (NJC) for the on-boarding of IST into an e-Filing portal to bolster the tribunal’s case management.
IST Chairman, Mr. Amos Azi, who made the disclosure when he hosted the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market, said with e-Filling, it would be easier for cases to be filed from anywhere in the world, thereby making the process less cumbersome and more cost-effective.
The IST is a critical part of the Nigerian capital market ecosystem, with the mandate to expeditiously adjudicate cases brought before it by stakeholders in the market.
Azi pleaded with the members of the House committee to ensure that the act establishing the IST was amended in such a way that only lawyers with cognate experience in the capital market are appointed to head the tribunal, while lawyers with cognate experience within the tribunal are appointed as chief registrar of the tribunal.
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market, Hon. Solomon Bob, applauded the tribunal, noting that the simplified rules of business adopted by the tribunal was what the other courts in the country should emulate.
According to him, the ability of the tribunal to dispense justice within the 90 days stipulated timeframe is a big plus for the ease of doing business in the country.
He decried the poor accommodation where the tribunal operates from its national headquarters, promising to do everything possible to ensure that a befitting accommodation is allocated to the tribunal within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), by the FCT Administration.
Also, the Chairman, Judicial Information Technology Policy Committee (JITPCO), Hon. Kashim Zannah, has described the IST as a serious organisation that can use information communication technology (ICT) as a game-changer, especially in the area of e-Filling of cases at the tribunal.
Zannah, who is also the Chief Justice of Borno State, stated this when the Chairman, Investments and Securities Tribunal, Amos Azi, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
He emphasised the need for the training of staff as the technology used in courts are specialised, hence the need for sound training.
He promised that his organisation would be on the lookout for trainings that can be of benefit to IST staff in order to attain grasp with the needed mastery that would always give the tribunal an edge.
In his response, Azi said IST’s integration into the state of the art platform will not only streamline its processes but also significantly reduce the operational costs associated with the traditional case management systems.
He further described the move as a clear demonstration of foresight and efficiency that will endure for many years to come, emphasising that the successful implementation of the e-Filing system has set the stage for greater cooperation between the IST and the judiciary capable of ultimately improving service delivery to all stakeholders in the capital market
