Use of Manual, Longhand Recordings in Court Unacceptable, CSLS Tells CJN 

.Partners justice ministry, others on implementation of minimum standard on ACJA 

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

The Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) has described as unacceptable the continued use of manual form of recording court proceedings in courts across the country and has called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to take urgent steps to address the situation.

President of the CSLS, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, made the call yesterday in Abuja, during a media parley with journalists on the challenges confronting the country’s justice.

Prof. Akinseye-George, who expressed concerns over the deteriorating state of the justice system in Nigeria, observed that a major cause of delays in the administration of justice has to do with the working conditions of judges, lamented that in this present day of technological advancement judges still write proceedings in long hand.

While stressing that, “the continued reliance on manual, longhand recording of court proceedings is no longer acceptable,” the senior lawyer argued that “If we can use technology to enhance efficiency in our personal and professional lives, there is no justification for failing to apply technological solutions to expedite and enhance justice delivery. As the saying goes, “justice delayed is justice denied”‘.

The centre therefore appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria to establish a clear deadline for the nationwide adoption of; E-filing of court processes; E-service of court documents; E-assignment of cases; E-arraignment procedures; E-recording and transcription of court proceedings and E-monitoring of judicial performance.

“These and other critical reforms embedded in the National Minimum Standards will be key discussion points at our upcoming National Sensitisation Webinar and National Technical Review and Evaluation Conference (NTREC),” he added.

According to the centre, the webinar will create awareness about the National Minimum Standards and provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss their implementation.

Besides the webinar, CSLS also plans a National Technical Review and Evaluation Conference (NTREC) in  February 25-27, 2025, where all stakeholders from federal and state levels would be brought together to assess compliance with the ACJA and ACJLs, share insights, and identify solutions to implementation challenges.

“During the National Sensitisation Webinar, we will present findings from our 2024 Baseline Study on the state of implementation of ACJ legislation across the country. Representatives from various states will also provide updates on their respective jurisdictions.

 “Additionally, the CSLS will verify these reports through our ACJA Rangers, who are stationed nationwide to monitor compliance. The insights gathered will be used to update the National Scoreboard, which ranks states based on their implementation of ACJ legislation,” he added.