Lawyers in Enugu Protest Virtual Court Hearings, Threaten to Close Courts

Lawyers in the Enugu North District of Enugu State protested on Tuesday. They are unhappy that judges in the area are still holding virtual court sessions, even years after starting them.

In a video shared on Facebook, the lawyers expressed their frustration. They said the judges' refusal to return to in-person hearings has hurt how justice is served.

They warned they would boycott any more virtual court sessions unless there are quick changes in the area and judges begin physical court sittings again.

The lawyers, according to PREMIUM TIMES, came from five judicial divisions in Nsukka Zone. These divisions are Nsukka, Obollo-Afor, Enugu-Ezike, Ogbede, and Umulokpa.

Their Concerns

During the protest across the five divisions, the Chairman of the Nsukka Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Sunday Agbo, spoke out. He noted that judges had moved to virtual proceedings due to insecurity in the area.

"We all welcomed that; we accepted it hoping that things would improve. For three years now, clerks from the various courts have been using their mobile phones to video the judges in the form of conducting virtual hearings," he said.

Mr Agbo mentioned that this situation makes it hard for lawyers. They often sit too close to opposing witnesses during cross-examinations. He said witnesses sometimes threaten lawyers who are questioning them.

The NBA chairman called on the Enugu State Government to properly equip all courtrooms with the right tools for better virtual proceedings.

"We are not saying that virtual hearings should be stopped. But we are saying that let these judicial divisions be equipped with modern facilities that will make virtual proceedings efficient," he added.

Plans to Close Courts

One of the protesting lawyers, Frank Agbowo, spoke to PREMIUM TIMES by phone after the protest. He explained that judges turned to virtual hearings because of kidnappers attacking people on the Ugwogo-Opi-Nsukka Road. Judges have to fly from Enugu to reach the Nsukka area.

Mr Agbowo argued that going virtual has not helped justice because of many problems with this system.

"Sometimes, the judge needs to watch the witnesses, the behaviour of parties during the proceedings to determine how he or she is going to make his or her decision.

"Again, when we file our case here in Nsukka, the clerk finds a way to send the file to Enugu. Sometimes, a lot of things get lost. During the virtual proceedings, we sometimes do not hear the judges when they speak because the network disrupts the proceedings. So, it is not working.

"Sometimes, a lawyer may have a document that he needs to show. But the judge may not see the document and the other lawyer cannot examine it. This happens because if a lawyer is joining from Lagos and another from Nsukka while the judge is in Enugu, the judge will not know what document one of the lawyers is presenting to see if it meets the Evidence Act's requirements before accepting it."

He said virtual proceedings are okay in law but should only be for minor cases like pre-trial motions, not serious matters.

Mr Agbowo mentioned they have contacted several authorities, including Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and the state chief judge, but nothing has changed.

He said this protest is one of the first steps the NBA leadership in the area has taken to change the situation.

"Secondly, we are not going to attend any court. In fact, all the courts in the zone will be grounded. We are shutting down the courts until those judges resume physical sittings," he said.