Chief Justice of Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Mukhtar
By Tobi Soniyi
As one of her strategies to enhance quick justice delivery, the Chief Justice of Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Mukhtar, Monday said computer literacy would be a pre-requisite for appointing judges.
She also said the judiciary support staff must also learn how to use computer to enable them keep their jobs.
Speaking at the opening of a workshop for secretaries, court registrars, process clerks, bailiffs and programme analysts on ethics, management skills and information technology organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja, the CJN pointed out that if the implementation of the information technology policy document was carried out holistically in the superior courts of records and lower courts the teething problems of slow administration of justice would be substantially addressed.
Justice Mukhtar who was represented at the occasion by the Chief Judge of Plateau State, Justice Lazarus Dakyen, pointed out that slow delivery of justice was one salient area that concerted efforts would be devoted to.
She said: “Very recently the Nigerian Judiciary Information Technology Policy Document was launched. It is a document for implementation of the information technology in the Nigerian judiciary. I believe that if the implementation of the information technology policy document is carried out holistically in the superior courts of records and lower courts the teething problem of slow administration of justice will be substantially addressed.
“To this end, through the NJI, a policy guideline will be issued whereby all serving judicial officers and support staff will be computer literate.
In the case of prospective judicial officers, computer literacy would be a pre-condition for appointment.”
The Administrator of the NJI, Justice Umaru Eri (rtd), announced to the judiciary support staff participating in the training that the CJN had issued a directive that all staff of the judiciary must be computer literate.
Mukthar is the Chairman of the NJI’s Board of Governors.
He said that Information and Communication Technology had come to stay permanently within the judicial system.
He therefore called on all those who work in the judiciary to embrace information technology.