Digital justice reforms: Ogun judiciary insists NBA was consulted, defends new court fees

Mercy Iheoma Ihedigbo

Ogun State Judiciary has defended the introduction of its digital justice reforms, insisting that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) was extensively consulted before the implementation of the policies that recently sparked a three-day boycott by lawyers in Abeokuta, Sagamu and Ota.

Speaking during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, the Chief Registrar of the High Court of Ogun State, Mr. Olakulehin Luqman Oke, maintained that due process was followed throughout the reform process and expressed disappointment that the protesting NBA branches failed to formally notify the judiciary before embarking on the industrial action.

According to him, the judiciary communicated with the NBA before amending the High Court Civil Procedure Rules and before introducing virtual court hearings, describing the boycott as inconsistent with the professional standards expected within the legal profession.

“Before the judiciary even commenced the virtual hearings, we wrote to the NBA. Before the rules were amended, the judiciary wrote to the NBA. When these three branches decided they wanted to go on a boycott, they did not write to the judiciary. They simply issued a press statement, and we saw it like every other member of the public,” Oke said.

His remarks followed claims by the Chairman of the NBA Abeokuta Branch, Chief Kayode Aderemi, who had earlier stated on the same programme that the boycott was the result of months of consultations with the judiciary during which several letters were written and meetings held without any meaningful response.

Responding to those claims, Oke insisted that the legal profession is governed by established procedures and that all stakeholders, including the NBA, are expected to observe those procedures before taking actions capable of disrupting court activities.

He explained that the amendment of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules began as far back as 2022 and that draft copies containing provisions on virtual hearings and the controversial ₦100,000 virtual hearing fee were circulated to all five NBA branches in Ogun State for comments and recommendations before the rules were finalised.

According to him, only the Ota Branch of the NBA responded to the invitation for comments.

He further disclosed that before the commencement of electronic affidavit services, letters were also sent to the five NBA branches to sensitise lawyers on the new system.

While acknowledging that the NBA has a constitutional right to organise a boycott, Oke argued that professional courtesy required the association to formally notify the Chief Judge or the Chief Registrar before making its decision public.

“The legal profession relies on the principle of respect and courtesy. That’s why it is called a noble profession. We are gentlemen, and we should relate as gentlemen. The NBA has a right to boycott, but courtesy demands that the judiciary be formally informed,” he stated.

The Chief Registrar also questioned the scope of the boycott, noting that it extended to courts that had no connection with the disputed digital reforms.

He observed that the Customary Court of Appeal neither conducts virtual hearings nor operates the electronic affidavit system, while only a limited number of Magistrates’ Courts have recently begun virtual proceedings.

“The Customary Court of Appeal does not conduct virtual hearings. It does not use electronic affidavits. Yet lawyers were instructed to boycott those courts as well,” he said.

Oke maintained that the judiciary had consistently provided opportunities for engagement through the Ogun State Bar and Bench Forum, which he said met three times this year—in January, May and June.

According to him, the June meeting extensively discussed the digital reforms, with judiciary officials providing detailed explanations to NBA chairmen and secretaries from all five branches.

He said the meeting ended with both sides agreeing to continue discussions until common ground was reached, making the subsequent boycott unexpected.

“We left that meeting believing discussions would continue. Apparently, we were the only ones who held that belief because we later learnt of the boycott through press statements,” he said.

The Chief Registrar also revealed that the judiciary had been preparing lawyers for the transition to electronic filing for nearly two years.

He disclosed that four sensitisation webinars were organised before the launch of the Ogun Court Management Information System (Ogun CoMis), with lawyers from Ogun State and beyond invited to participate.

Addressing concerns over restrictions on electronic affidavits, Oke said many lawyers had misunderstood the policy.
He explained that the daily limit of four affidavits applies only to general affidavits generated through standard templates, such as declarations of age, marriage, name changes and ownership, which members of the public can process without legal representation.

According to him, affidavits connected to ongoing court proceedings—including verifying affidavits and witness statements on oath—remain completely unrestricted because they can only be filed by legal practitioners.

“There is no restriction on the number of court-connected affidavits that lawyers can file. The limitation applies only to general affidavits, where we previously experienced significant fraud,” he explained.

Oke stated that the restrictions were introduced to curb widespread abuse that existed under the manual affidavit system, where forged court stamps and fake affidavits allegedly flourished without any reliable means of verification.

He said the digitised platform now guarantees proper authentication, traceability and permanent records of affidavits processed through the courts.
Defending the ₦1,500 electronic affidavit fee, the Chief Registrar argued that Ogun State’s charges are comparable with those of several other states operating similar digital systems.

He noted that Rivers and Bayelsa States also charge ₦1,500, while the Federal Capital Territory charges ₦2,000, adding that Ogun’s fees are neither excessive nor designed primarily for revenue generation.

On the controversial ₦100,000 virtual hearing fee, Oke acknowledged that it may be among the highest in Nigeria but insisted that Ogun’s virtual court system is one of the most efficient in the country.

“It may be among the highest, but it is also the most efficient, and that cannot be disputed,” he said.

He also defended the increase in oath fees from ₦200 to ₦1,500, arguing that the previous charge had remained unchanged for over a decade despite inflation and changing economic realities.

According to him, the low fee encouraged widespread forgery, with unauthorised persons producing affidavits outside court premises that were never officially recorded by the judiciary.

“You could obtain an affidavit by the roadside, pay ₦200, and the court would have no record of it. The Ogun CoMis platform has eliminated those fraudulent practices,” he said.

Appealing for cooperation between the Bench and the Bar, Oke urged lawyers to embrace reforms designed to modernise justice administration, insisting that outdated fee structures cannot sustain efficient judicial services.

“We cannot say we want a modern system that works and still expect to operate it with outdated fees,” he stated.
On future engagement with the NBA, the Chief Registrar disclosed that formal discussions would likely resume at the beginning of the new legal year in September, as the courts are expected to commence their annual vacation within the next week, during which only urgent matters will be entertained.