By Advocatenewsng.com.
AT a well attended annual public lecture organised by the National Association of Judicial Correspondents (NAJUC), in Lagos, the key-note speaker and a retired judge of Lagos High Court, Justice Folashade Bankole-Oki called on the judicial authorities and other stakeholders to urgently reform Nigeria’s justice system in the same vein as she urged judges, legal practitioners, and the media to embrace technology, adopt international best practices, and engage public feedback to rebuild trust in the system.
Speaking today at the venue, Muson Centre, Onikan, on the theme: “Strengthening the administration of justice through technology, international best practices, media, and public feedback,” Justice Bankole-Oki said NigerIa justice system urgently needs transformation.
“There is an urgent need to strengthen the administration of justice in Nigeria. Public trust has waned—and rightly so,” she stated.
She emphasized that rebuilding this trust is a shared responsibility among government, judiciary, legal practitioners, and especially the media. “Judicial correspondents bear a sensitive and essential role,” she said.
Justice Bankole-Oki highlighted the media’s vital role in protecting judicial integrity but warned that some regulatory measures, such as mandatory blogger registration, could threaten freedom of expression.
She also urged accurate and responsible reportage by journalists to avoid undermining public confidence reposed in the media.
Citing innovations in the Lagos State Judiciary, she urged wider adoption of virtual hearings, online dispute resolution, automated transcription, paperless trials, and e-filing to tackle delays and backlogs.
She called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) and state judicial commissions to drive policies prioritizing technological modernization, including secure digital evidence storage.
Regarding artificial intelligence, she acknowledged its growing use in legal research and case management but cautioned against over dependence.
Justice Bankole-Oki charged judicial correspondents to maintain fairness and accuracy, warning against misleading headlines or biased narratives that could impede on justice.
On whistleblowing, she urged careful media verification and protection of whistleblowers, while cautioning against misuse.
“Technology, media, international benchmarks, and public feedback are no longer optional—they are essential for building an efficient, transparent justice system,” she concluded.
Also speaking, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede praised the media role in the fight against corruption, calling for courage, resilience and unity in the ongoing campaign.
Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho (represented by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa), urged stronger collaboration between the judiciary and judicial correspondents for accurate court reporting.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo, the chairman of the event and a retired judge of the Federal High Court,, reaffirmed the need for judicial reforms to keep pace with AI and technological advances. He praised the Chief Justice of Nigeria’s initiative to publish judicial nominees for public input as a transparency milestone.
NAJUC chairman, Olugbenga Soyele described the event’s theme as timely and essential for building a more efficient and transparent justice system with the media’s indispensable role.
The event was concluded with an award of excellence to EFCC, (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) Chairman, Olukoyede for his dedication in fighting corruption in Nigeria.
