Okwe Obi, Abuja
A legal practitioner, Elvis Asia, has called for the institutionalisation of virtual court hearing, especially in the dispensation of commercial disputes; stating that it would create room for seamless communication, time management and timely delivery of judgement.
Asia, while presenting his paper on a webinar, christened: ‘Dialogue in virtual court hearing in Nigeria: Opportunities for contract enforcement and commercial disputes settlement,’ Tuesday, argued that adoption of virtual court proceedings would make it easy for lawyers to record and further reduce time and cost of producing witnesses in court.
The Managing Partner of Law Future Partners, further contended that there would “transparency in disputes resolution and increased public access; time-based adjournments, cost reduction and provide solution to the problem of starting matters de novo when justice are transferred.”
He added that it would lead to an “agreement on procedural issues, reducing the need for hearing of issues for determination and lawyers would be focused.”
He, however, recommended that the leadership of Nigerian Bar Association and other judicial bodies should dialogue on how to “create commercial division of courts with requisite technology support for VCH;
“Amend the interpretation Act; continued professional development for lawyers by the NBA on VCH and others.
“There should be skills acquisition and professional development for registrars and parastatal; review the evidence Act; detailed and substantive rules of court and practice direction on VCH.”