By Jacinta Nwachukwu
The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has called on the federal and states judiciary to adopt technology tools for efficient justice system.
PPDC, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) created to increase citizens’ participation in governance, specifically advocated the adoption of virtual trial of inmates to address the challenges associated with bringing them to court.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees, PPDC, Mr Chibuzo Ekwekwuo, made the call on Thursday in Abuja, at the ongoing third edition of Access to Justice Parley organised by the centre.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the parley is themed, “Justice, Security and Governance: A Unified Agenda for Nigeria’s Sustainable Development”.
Ekwekwuo said: ‘Digitisation has come to help us today. An accused person in prison custody does not need to be physically brought to the court.
‘The system allows him to sit in the prison and have his case out there.
“With this, there will be no issues of; there is no Black Maria to bring him to court, there’s no fuel to drive him, or the officer to bring him to court is indisposed,” he explained.
The PPDC board chairman underscored the importance of leveraging technology tools to address the challenges in the dispensation of justice.
He said with the use of technology, delayed trials and other challenges inhibiting prompt justice dispensation would be eliminated.
“What our judges go through is enormous – writing in longhand, the stress to provide judgment, to do research and all of that.
“All of that can be addressed by technologies that are available today and locally.
“I am hoping that there will be a lot more adoption of these tools by our court administrators and also our judiciary officers,” he said.
Ekwekwuo, particularly, called on the states judiciary to be faster in adopting the modern tools that are available.
“I know change is not easy, but given where we are, globally and nationally, adoption of technology is something we should embrace,” he said.
On PPDC interventions, the board chairman disclosed that it pioneered the development of court management systems in Nigeria and has deployed more court management tools in courts than any other organisations.
He said the organisation developed technology tools from e-filing to court management recording to the entire value chain of the justice system, including file management, evidence handling, and still pushing forward to do more.
According to him, PPDC, primarily worked to improve citizens’ participation in governance in a way that improves the integrity of the public institutions and governance processes.
“We try to bring forth initiatives that improve efficiency, help to drive growth, and improve access by the citizens to the institutions of justice.
NAN reports that the parley was sponsored by Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi
