Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the Attorney General of Oyo State, on Wednesday urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to champion the adoption of e-electronic practice in the legal profession.
Oyewo made the recommendation in Ibadan during the ongoing 2021 NBA Ibadan Law Week.
He was speaking on the theme: ‘The impact of COVID-19 and other health challenges on the legal profession in Nigeria: the need to embrace E- practice as alternatives.’
The SAN said the Nigerian Judiciary Information Technology Policy Document should be speedily institutionalised to enable the judiciary deliver justice and service the users of legal service efficiently through ICT.
According to him, both the bar and bench must collaborate towards the establishment of e-practice in Nigeria.
“Training of lawyers must be reformed in Nigerian Law school and faculties of law to embrace ICT.
“This will equip law students with global standard lawyering skills that will produce fit for purpose lawyers and not outdated and unproductive misfits.
“The necessary legal framework must be established to protect all persons in the value-chain of legal service delivery of E-practice,” he said.
Oyewo emphasised that COVID-19 foisted on the global community a new normal way of rendering legal service through the internet.
He added that any community of legal professionals that refused to join the trend would be perceived as abnormal and be ready to pay for its consequences.
“No legal practitioner should adopt an ostrich approach of burying its head in the sand in the hope that the storm will pass away and bring back the normal for the new normal has come to stay,” he said.
Also speaking, Hon. Justice John Bamgbose from the Ogun State Judiciary, said anyone not partaking in the e-practice would end up being miserable in the world.
“Work will be easier when we engage in e-practice, you will be involved with many people, share problems and get solutions faster and easier.
“If we don’t get involved in it, people will take over our chance, so let’s all get up and think about it, we cannot be backward,” he said.
Similarly, Prof. Toyin Akintola, the Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, corroborated the position that e-practice had come to stay.
Akintola, represented by Dr Funke Ekundayo, the Head, Department of Private and Property Law, University of Ibadan, urged legal practitioners to embrace the new practice.
He called on them including the students to embrace the development and practice for a more efficient service delivery and results. (NAN)