A Bill to Legalise Virtual Court Proceedings Passes First Reading

A constitution alteration bill seeking to legalise virtual court proceedings on Tuesday passed through the first reading at the Senate.

The bill entitled:  '1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill, 2020 (SB. 418)', sponsored by Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, is aimed at ensuring the much needed corresponding amendment  of relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) in giving legal teeth to virtual court proceedings.

The provisions of the bill as contained in the draft copy include Section 36 sub-section (3) which states thus: "This section is hereby amended by the addition of the following: ‘Provided that nothing in this subsection shall invalidate proceedings of a court or the proceedings of a tribunal relating to matters mentioned in subsection (1) of this section (including the announcement of the decisions of the court or tribunal) where same is held by remote hearing or any virtual means now in existence or yet to be developed.

"Section 36 subsection (4) is hereby amended by addition of sub-paragraph (c) as follows: (c) nothing in the foregoing paragraphs shall invalidate proceedings of a court or the proceedings of a tribunal relating to matters mentioned in subsection (1) of this section (including the announcement of the decisions of the court or tribunal) where same is held by remote hearing or any virtual means now in existence or yet to be developed.

"Section 36 subsection (12) is hereby amended by addition of the following subsection (13): In this section, ‘remote hearing’ means proceedings or hearing of court conducted via Zoom, Skype, Whatsapp video or any other social media platform or technological innovation."

The sponsor of the bill, Bamidele, while  shedding more light on the bill, stressed that "the National Judicial Council (NJC), in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and the inability of courts to hold courtroom proceedings, had taken steps to ensure continued administration of justice through virtual proceedings in accordance with global best practices, with some state Chief Judges coming out to openly adopt and implement the NJC guidelines.

 "However, Nigerian lawyers have been divided over this issue as there has been an ongoing debate among legal practitioners as to whether or not virtual hearing is real hearing as provided for in the constitution while some are insisting that the word ‘public’ in the constitution shall continue to mean physical court room or other designated place unless and until the relevant provisions in section 36 of the constitution are amended."

Bamidele who is  a member of the Body of Benchers, said in the meantime, the NJC has a responsibility to work with stakeholders to manage the current situation until “we rewrite our constitution in this regard.”