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 soft wares 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 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.
