By Sunday Ameh
The Ogun State Judiciary has defended the introduction of its digital justice reforms, insisting that the Nigerian Bar Association was adequately consulted before the implementation of the policies that recently triggered a three-day boycott by some branches of the association.
The Chief Registrar of the High Court of Ogun State, Mr. Olakulehin Luqman Oke, stated this during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, on Friday.
Oke said the judiciary followed due process before introducing virtual hearings, electronic affidavits and the amended High Court Civil Procedure Rules, expressing surprise that the NBA branches announced their boycott through a press statement without formally notifying the judiciary.
“Before the judiciary even commenced the virtual hearings, we wrote to the NBA. Before the rules were amended, the judiciary wrote to the NBA. When these three branches decided they wanted to go on a boycott, they did not write to the judiciary to inform the judiciary that they were going on a boycott. They issued a press release, and we saw the press release like every other person,” he said.
His remarks followed concerns earlier raised by the Chairman of the toNBA, Abeokuta Branch, Chief Kayode Aderemi, who had maintained that the boycott by the Abeokuta, Sagamu and Ota branches was preceded by months of consultations, meetings and formal correspondence with the judiciary, alleging that their concerns received no meaningful response.
Responding to the claims, Oke maintained that the legal profession is guided by established procedures, stressing that the same due process observed by the judiciary before introducing the reforms should also have guided the NBA before embarking on the industrial action.
He disclosed that the process leading to the amendment of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules began several years ago, adding that draft copies of the proposed rules, including provisions for virtual hearings and the controversial ₦100,000 virtual hearing fee, were circulated to all five NBA branches in Ogun State for comments and recommendations.
According to him, only the Ota branch responded to the draft.
The Chief Registrar also said letters were sent to the NBA before the commencement of the electronic affidavit system, noting that the judiciary consistently engaged the association throughout the reform process.
While acknowledging the NBA’s constitutional right to organise a boycott, Oke argued that professional courtesy required the association to formally notify the Chief Judge or the Chief Registrar before embarking on the action.
“The legal profession relies on the principle of respect and courtesy. That’s why it’s called a noble profession because we are gentlemen, and we should relate as gentlemen,” he said.
He further questioned the scope of the boycott, noting that it extended to the Customary Court of Appeal and several Magistrates’ Courts, despite the fact that those courts neither conduct virtual hearings nor operate the electronic affidavit system being protested.
According to him, the judiciary and the NBA had continued discussions through the state’s Bar and Bench Forum, which met in January, May and June this year.
Oke said detailed explanations on the reforms were provided during the June meeting, and both sides agreed to continue discussions until a mutually acceptable resolution was reached.
“We left that meeting with the understanding that we would continue to talk until we arrived at a conclusion. But apparently we were the only ones that held that belief,” he said.
The Chief Registrar also disclosed that the judiciary organised four sensitisation webinars before introducing the electronic affidavit platform to educate lawyers on its operation.
Addressing concerns over the restriction on electronic affidavits, Oke explained that the daily limit of four filings applies only to general affidavits generated from standard templates on the Ogun Court Management Information System platform and not to affidavits connected with ongoing court cases.
“There has been a misconception as to what the limitation on four affidavits means.
Court-connected affidavits, such as verifying affidavits and witness statements on oath, have no restriction whatsoever because they can only be filed by legal practitioners,” he said.
He explained that the restriction was introduced to curb fraud associated with general affidavits, insisting that there has been no limitation on court-related affidavit filings since the Ogun CoMis platform became operational in February.
Defending the ₦1,500 electronic affidavit fee, Oke argued that Ogun State’s charges compare favourably with those of other states operating similar electronic platforms, including Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Ondo, Oyo and the Federal Capital Territory.
He also acknowledged that the state’s ₦100,000 virtual hearing fee may be among the highest in the country but maintained that the platform offers efficient and reliable service.
“It may be. It may be. It is also the most efficient. That cannot be disputed,” he said.
On the increase in oath fees from ₦200 to ₦1,500, the Chief Registrar said the previous charge had remained unchanged for more than a decade despite inflation and changing economic realities.
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