By 
Use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies will facilitate a timely dispensation of justice by Nigerian courts, Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has said at a seminar on ‘Banking and Related matters for Judges’ that held recently Abuja.
Pantami tasked judges on the need to acquire technology skills and leverage new innovations considering the upsurge in cyber and financial crimes in the country. Besides, AI could provide reliable algorithms to efficiently and speedily provide justice and rid the courts as well as the entire judicial system including the police stations and prisons of unattended cases.
RELATED NITDA, NJI To Upskill Judiciary Officers On IT For Improved Justice System
The seminar with the theme: “Strengthening the Quality of Judicial Systems and Banking Operations Through Innovations”, was designed to equip judicial officers and other stakeholders with contemporary legal issues in electronic commerce in Nigeria’. It featured technical presentations on ‘Cyber Security and the Courts; and Safeguarding the Banking and Judicial Processes.
Speakers’ presentations were focused on how judges could effectively handle cyber security and scam cases especially with regards to e-commerce.
“We live in a world that is increasingly integrated with technology, and it is very difficult to separate our online life and offline life, and everything we do is being captured, processed and stored by this big tech companies. We need utilize our time to develop new ideas that will improve our court proceedings,” said Prof. Pantami. He was represented by the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa.
ALSO READ Finally, The Law Comes Against Cybercriminals
“Before, human can think and make decisions but today we have systems that can make decisions like the way we do by using available data,” the minister added.
He said people go to social media to buy things, and big tech companies use AI to advertise products which users have interest in, that clearly showed another method of changing the way people live and interact.
“Artificial Intelligence has powers, and these powers can be used against or for social justice, criminal justice and many more so we need to design a system with legal minds that can solve courts challenges.”
“By 2025, China will commence the use of artificial intelligence and other technologies in its judicial system”, said Pantami even as he drew the participants’ attention to how “ICT is taking over everything and the need to leverage on the vast opportunities it provides in commerce, financial services and our legal system”.
According to him, the NITDA Act of 2007 is to develop the regulations of electronic governance and monitor the use of electronic data interchange and other forms of electronic communication transactions as an alternative to paper-based methods in government, commerce, education, and other field, where the use of electronic communication may improve the exchange of data and information.
