Dignitaries at the NAJUC annual lecture
Justice Folashade Bankole-Oki has called for urgent reforms in the Nigeria’s justice system, urging the judiciary, legal professionals, and the media to embrace technology, adopt international best practices, and engage public feedback to rebuild trust.
Speaking at the Nigerian Association of Judicial Correspondents (NAJUC) Annual Lecture in Lagos today with 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 the government, judiciary, legal practitioners, and 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 urged accurate, responsible reporting to avoid undermining public confidence.
Citing innovations in the Lagos State Judiciary, she called for wider adoption of virtual hearings, online dispute resolution, automated transcription, paperless trials, and e-filing to tackle delays and backlogs of cases.
She also 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, AI, she acknowledged its growing use in legal research and case management, but cautioned against overdependence.
Justice Bankole-Oki charged judicial correspondents to maintain fairness and accuracy, warning against misleading headlines or biased narratives that could damage 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’s 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 who was represented by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa), urged stronger collaboration between the judiciary and judicial correspondents for accurate court reporting.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo, chairman of the event, reaffirmed the need for judicial reforms to keep pace with AI and technological advances. He praised the Chief Justice of Nigeria’s, Justice Kudirat kekere- Ekun initiative to publish names of 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, transparent justice system with the media’s indispensable role.
The evening was concluded with an Award of Excellence to EFCC Chairman Mr Ola Olukoyede for his dedication to fighting corruption.
