Bayelsa State Judiciary has become the first in the nation to adopt the Nigerian Court Management System (NCMS) and E-filing programme to facilitate efficient handling of cases.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Bayelsa State, Mr. Biriyai Dambo (SAN), who made this known in Yenagoa, while speaking at the unveiling of the programme, described it as a significant achievement for the state.
He commended the State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Kate Abiri, on several strategic reforms she has instituted in the State Judiciary, noting that it has made the work of the judiciary seamless.
He expressed optimism that under her watch the state would continue to lead in the adjudication of cases in the country, saying greater things are in store for the state.
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He said: “When I received the invitation from His Lordship, the Hon. Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Hon. Justice Kate Abiri, I was excited at the achievement of this major milestone and reform of our judicial and case management system in Bayelsa State.
“Of course this has been made possible by the stellar and visionary leadership of His Lordship, the Chief Judge. With this achievement, I am convinced that the Bayelsa State Judiciary will continue to be one of the leading lights in the adjudication of cases in Nigeria”.
Justice Kate Abiri, in her remarks, said the introduction of NCMS and e-filing in the Judiciary has opened the door for the digitalization of court processes.
She thanked the Governor, Senator Douye Diri, for abiding by constitutional provisions and ensuring the financial autonomy of the State Judiciary.
“There is no way any judiciary can move from analogue to a complete digitalization without adequate funding. Every step of this journey costs money, and sustaining it will cost money.
“It is heart-warming to let our august visitors know that we have substantially moved away from recording evidence with long hand to electronic system of recording, which has tremendously reduced the time wasted in recording evidence in long hand.
“The introduction of the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS) and e-filling in the Bayelsa State Judiciary is indeed taking us to the next level of complete digitalization of the court system.
“I see this as a great privilege and actualization of our goals and objectives, among which are providing appropriate infrastructure and equipment using cutting-edge technologies and striving for excellence.
Also speaking, the Chief Judg of Borno State, Justice Kashim Zannah congratulated the government and Judiciary of Bayelsa State for being the first State Judiciary in the federation to adopt the NCMS.
Justice Zannah, who gave his presentation on the topic, ”NCMS, E-filling and Legal Mail”, noted that the system embraces the use of technology and technology-driven tools to facilitate the judicial process.
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