Zoom not best technology for virtual court sitting, says Osinbajo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday says the teleconferencing application, Zoom, is not the best for holding virtual court proceedings.

The vice-president said though Zoom has its own advantages, it is not completely suitable for virtual court proceedings as a lot of documents and evidence would need to be examined during hearings.

Osinbajo, who delivered a keynote address via Zoom during the Law Students Association of Nigeria’s national virtual town hall meeting 2020, advised lawyers in the country to be technology savvy.

According to him, a 21st century lawyer must be interdisciplinary, multi-tasking and digitally strong.

He noted that the coronavirus global pandemic has necessitated reduction of human contact.

The Supreme Court had, mid-July, ruled that virtual court sitting was not unconstitutional.

A seven-man panel of the apex court, led by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, said although the court had not declared it constitutional, the various practice directions issued by the heads of courts permitting their judges to adopt remote hearing in deserving situations “enjoyed the presumption of regularity.”