Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Monday advised lawyers
to use technology to improve the legal profession with a view to
enhancing justice delivery in the country.
Sanwo-Olu made the call in Lagos at the 59th Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA) 2019 Annual General Conference with the theme
‘Facing The Future’.
Sanwo-Olu was represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat.
He said that a major driving force behind the phenomenal change
across all professions was technology and urged the legal
profession to rise up to this challenge.
“There is no profession either medical, legal, civil engineering
that has not felt the impact of technology into its practice.
“Any profession that does not incorporate technology into its
practice will lose its relevance and miss a place in the future
which is fast unfolding.
“Every profession must therefore understand the language of
technology and adopt it effectively for greater output and
efficiency,” Sanw0-Olu said.
The governor said that it was heartwarming that the conference
theme demonstrated NBA’s readiness to reposition the practice of
legal profession in line with the envisaged future environment in
which it would operate.
“A whole lot of work need to be done to adapt effectively to the
fast changing environment characterised by technology and
innovation.
“A key step in this regard will be the integration of ICT skill
acquisition into the training of lawyers,” he said.
The governor said that a number of technology innovations, tools
and softwares were being developed and deployed to perform tasks
that were normally carried out by human beings.
He noted that ‘Ross’ the first known robot lawyer had been
developed and already being hired by notable international law
firms across the globe.
He said that the need for legal profession to rise up to the
challenge faced by the use of technology was also expressed by the
Chief Justice of Singapore, Sunadesh Menon, at the 29th
Inter-Pacific Bar Association Annual meeting.
“Menon said if we all start thinking deeply now about the impact
that technology is having and will have on the law and if we do not
shirk from taking the necessary and painful steps to adapt to the
changes this will bring, we might give ourselves a chance of
safeguarding the future,’’ he said.
Sanwo-Olu restated his administration’s commitment to the
improvement of justice dispensation and maintenance of law and
order in ensuring that Lagos works for all.
“Our success as a government lies more in our continuous
collaboration with stakeholders in the administration of justice to
achieve our goals and the realities of an efficient justice
delivery system,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the four-day NBA
conference will feature plenary sessions on Code of Tribunal, Clash
of Judicial and Executive Powers, The Rule of Law and Future of
Human Rights, Sexual Harassment in the Legal Community and
Implementing Sustainable Development Goals.
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