Justice Fadima Aminu: Leading Name in Utilisation of Technology To Dispense Justice
Virtually all areas of human endeavour have over the years evolved from analogue to digital as people and businesses now leverage technology to conduct their daily activities, receive and send orders, book taxis, conduct academic activities and accomplish many other tasks. Simply put, technological innovation has changed the way we do things. Robotics and Artificial Intelligence is even gradually replacing humans in developed countries.
Here in Nigeria, it is admissible that we might not have arrived where we ought to, there is however light at the end of the tunnel. Such light illuminates brighter in the judiciary which is the bastion of Nigeria’s corporate co-existence because of the enormous roles it plays in conflict resolution, administration of justice and repair of relationships.
Interestingly, the sector is blessed with a lot of tech-savvy individuals both in the bar and the bench and one of such is Justice Fadima Murtala Aminu of the Federal High Court, Yobe division. She has remained at the forefront and committedly so in ensuring that the judiciary occupies a place of prominence in deploying technology to perform its functions.
Today, it is gratifying to note that the Federal High Court in Damaturu, Yobe state is one of the courts in the country that has fully domesticated e-filing and virtual sitting which is a plug & play, ready-made, reliable, efficient and easy-to-use application that incorporates e-case management, e-causelist and many other features, including archiving.
Thanks to the leadership Justice Fadima Aminu has resiliently provided in order to ensure that unnecessary bottlenecks and man-made delays are eliminated on the path of justice seekers.
What this teaches us is that, we can lead from anywhere we are. You can drive the change you want to see from your own corner. Justice Aminu has demonstrated leadership as a strong-willed woman of the bench by deploying technology to discharge her assignment to the fatherland, even when her colleagues expressed reservations.
Without mincing words, the e-filing and virtual court sitting is one innovation that is changing the way judicial businesses are conducted. This is the message Justice Aminu takes everywhere she goes within and outside the shores of this country. Little wonder her presentation at a recent engagement in South Africa was titled, “Harnessing Technology for Enhanced Implementation: Leveraging Digital Tools and Platforms to Promote Compliance With the Decision of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
Justice Fadima Aminu at the Launching of E-filing and Virtual Court for Damaturu Division of the FHC in 2021
An erudite and unbiased jurist, Justice Fadima Aminu has continued to tell her colleagues how the e-filing and virtual court assisted her in dealing with her pre-election cases penultimate 2023 elections in her division in good time. She was later to be drafted to the Abuja division on a special assignment.
At a time when many courts could not sit in the North East due to the insurgency and coupled with the effect of non-availability of suspects to be transported to the Court from the correctional centre which is far away from the State capital where the court is situated, this uncommon judge embraced the full digitalization of the Court and reached out to one of the leading ICT firm that provides digital solutions to the judiciary- 4tue Technologies to deploy their customized electronic filing application and virtual court as part of their corporate Social responsibility. Since then, the face of the administration of justice in Yobe can never be compared to any division of the Federal High Court nationwide.
That is not all, through her result-oriented leadership, she has been able to secure the support of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) Damaturu command, leading to the establishment of a virtual courtroom in Potiskum prison. This eliminated the challenge of transporting inmates from Potiskum to Damaturu, a distance that covers nearly 100 km, along with a disturbing security situation there. With this virtual courtroom, lawyers will simply go there and get connected to the court with a click of button.
Thanks to 4Tune Technologies Ltd, the firm that has taken the burden of introducing this technology and deployed same to the Nigerian courts free of charge for the court since 2021. The counsel does not need to get to the Court to file their processes. It can be done from the comfort of their offices.
The company’s Managing Director, Fatai Abiodun is someone who has been passionate about seeing the Nigerian judicial system move away from the analogue approach that has hindered progress over the decades, and believes that what affects justice, affects all. Having worked closely with the courts for more than a decade, he was able to appreciate the challenge in the judiciary, which made him assemble a team of tech experts and came up with this home-based solution.
In this digital era, it is my earnest appeal that all heads of court in Nigeria adopt this solution in order to join their peers across the world who have fully entrenched technology as a work tool. It is user-friendly and programmed in such a way that anyone capable of sending and receiving an email can use it.
Until then, the name Justice Fadima Murtala Aminu will continue to ring bell as one that stood out to be counted when the effort to deploy efficiency, effectiveness and productivity in the judiciary was on.
Justice Fadima Aminu had served as a Legal Practitioner, Law Lecturer, Magistrate, prior to her elevation as a Judge of the Federal High Court Judge. She is most ICT compliant Judge of the Federal High Court who has delivered many judgements and rulings including Pre-election matters virtually which can be accessed via www.fhcportal.ng
Alex Enemanna, an Abuja-based journalist writes from alexenemanna3@gmail.com
