The National Judicial Council, NJC, has commenced the training of lawyers in Ekiti State on the use of the Electronic Court system as part of efforts to fully digitize judicial processes in the state.
The training, organized by the NJC’s ICT Implementation Committee, drew participants from private and official bars across the three NBA branches in the state.
Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Hon. Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, Hon. Justice Bamidele Omotoso, described the programme as another milestone in the annals of the Ekiti State Judiciary.
Justice Omotoso said the training marked the beginning of legal practitioners’ transition from analogue to digital practice. He urged lawyers to embrace the Nigerian Case Management System, NCMS, in line with the NJC directive.
This is the future of legal practice. I urge all of you to reciprocate this gesture by keying into the system. The days of manual filing and physical records are gradually giving way to efficiency, speed and transparency, he said.
In her response, the leader of the delegation, Mrs. Funmi Asaolu, said the migration to digital practice would bring enormous benefits to both lawyers and litigants.
According to her, lawyers in Ekiti State who take full advantage of the training will be ahead of their counterparts in other jurisdictions still tied to archaic methods of practice.
Digital practice eliminates delays, reduces costs, and enhances access to justice. Ekiti lawyers are about to be at the forefront of this transformation, she stated.
Earlier in the year, the Ekiti State Judiciary under Justice Ogunmoye held a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on the NCMS, attended by key players in the justice sector.
Present at the training were the Chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ado-Ekiti Branch, Mr. Paul Akomolafe, Ikole Branch, Mr. Ezekiel Agunbiade, and Ikere-Ekiti Branch, Mr. Ayo Daramola, as well as management and staff of the Ekiti State Judiciary, among others.
The NCMS is designed to enable e-filing, virtual hearings, and real-time case tracking in line with global best practices.
