By Bartholomew Madukwe

As part of efforts to meet the challenges of the new legal year, President, Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa and other Justices of the court, have stepped up efforts to make the appellate court information technology compliant.

The modernization project of the Court of Appeal came after a recent study visit to Australia and it is to institute a comprehensive modernization of the court’s operational system to meet international standard.

According to a source close to the President of the court, the visit was to help the Appeal Court Justices understand the electronic filling otherwise known as the e-filling (Virtual court) project.
It was gathered that the visit demonstrated to the management of the court the need for a Court Records and Information Management and E- ­ filing System.

One of the crucial areas visited was the Federal Family Court of Australia to see the efficient implementation of an E­ -filing system and the practical needs of court management framework. The delegation met with the Chief Justice of Family Court of Australia, Diana Bryant.

All the sessions were interactive and informal and it is hoped that the initiative will be backed up by actions as the 2014/2015 Legal Year of the court begins.
It was gathered that the Court of Appeal, online appeal filling system is an essential component of the strategic plan for technology for the court.

Stakeholders said that the e-filing is to transform the Court of Appeal from a paper-based process to an electronic environment, where interactions occur via internet or automated voice-response with improved servicing timeframes; e-filing system will be used by 90 percent of court staff and Judicial Officers and will transform the way cases are received, adjudicated and disposed of.

The stakeholders noted that e-filing system will significantly improve the quality of justice rendered in Nigeria’s trial courts by providing lawyers, judges and litigants with visibility and access to case information across all Nigerian courts.

Highlights of the e-filing system include institutional filers (Lawyers  etc.) transmit directly from their computer systems; lawyers can file via the internet, tablets or kiosks; case records stored electronically; Nigeria Appeal Court can be accessed 24×7 from any location through the internet; lawyers, litigants, justice partners, judicial officers and court staff can search across all case types for cases; Nigeria courts at the push of a button and better information drives more-in formed decisions and reduces the risk of conflicting orders.