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Firdaus Obiremi
The Chief Judge of Ogun State, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, and other senior judicial officers have urged magistrates across the country to embrace technological innovation, strengthen professional competence and improve case management to ensure faster, fairer and more effective justice delivery.
They made the call on Wednesday at the 2026 National Convention of the Magistrates’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), held at the Ceremonial Court, Judiciary Complex, Olipakala Village, Kobape Road, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The convention, themed “Strengthening the Magistracy for Effective Justice Delivery through Capacity Building and Innovation,” brought together judicial officers and other stakeholders to examine challenges confronting the magistracy and identify practical measures to strengthen the administration of justice.
Declaring the convention open, Dipeolu urged magistrates not to allow uncertainty surrounding promotion and career progression to undermine their commitment to their current responsibilities.
She said magistrates should recognise the importance of their positions and remain committed to delivering justice impartially, irrespective of their expectations of elevation to higher judicial offices.
“Your current position is not a waiting room for another appointment; it is an office of considerable responsibility in its own right,” she said.
The Chief Judge maintained that a magistrate who listens patiently, applies the law correctly, manages proceedings fairly and delivers well-reasoned decisions performs an invaluable service to society.
She stressed that judicial excellence required continuous professional development, urging magistrates to study decisions of superior courts, keep abreast of legislative developments, improve their legal research and judgment-writing skills, and participate actively in judicial education programmes.
According to her, the increasing complexity of legal disputes makes it imperative for judicial officers to update their knowledge and professional skills regularly.
“The quality of justice we deliver depends substantially on the quality of our preparation,” she said.
Dipeolu also identified technological advancement as a major factor reshaping the administration of justice, noting that electronic transactions, digital communications, cybercrime, online fraud and electronically stored records were increasingly presenting complex issues before the courts.
She said magistrates must acquire the necessary knowledge to evaluate electronic evidence, understand emerging technologies and apply relevant laws appropriately.
The Chief Judge, however, warned that technology must be deployed responsibly to improve judicial administration without undermining the fundamental principles of justice.
“Technology must serve justice, not compromise it,” she said.
She explained that innovation in the judiciary should go beyond purchasing computers and installing new software to include efficient case management, improved court scheduling, proper record-keeping, reduced unnecessary adjournments and better access to justice.
Dipeolu added that electronic filing, digital case management and virtual proceedings, where permitted by law and appropriate, could help reduce delays and improve the experience of litigants.
She also emphasised the importance of punctuality, proper planning of proceedings and effective management of court dockets, noting that these measures could improve efficiency even where resources were limited.
On institutional development, the Chief Judge disclosed that Ogun State had sustained its annual Magistrates’ Conference since its creation in 1976, recording 45 editions.
She described the tradition as evidence of the state’s commitment to continuing judicial education and expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to host the national convention.
Dipeolu further urged the association to strengthen its internal structures, improve communication between its national leadership and state branches, and ensure that members’ welfare concerns received adequate attention.
She called for regular branch meetings, active participation by members and prompt payment of membership dues, describing the contributions as essential to financing training programmes, conventions, administrative activities and legitimate welfare initiatives.
She also charged the association’s National Executive Committee to maintain transparency and accountability in managing members’ contributions.
Ahead of the election of new national officers, the Chief Judge urged delegates to prioritise integrity, competence, commitment and willingness to serve, rather than personal interests.
She called on the incoming leadership to make the national convention an annual event, stressing that its continuity should not depend on the enthusiasm of individual officeholders.
Dipeolu said the success of the gathering should be measured not only by the election of new executives but also by renewed commitment to professional development, institutional cooperation and improved justice delivery.
She added that public confidence in the judiciary depended on fairness, integrity, competence and respect for the rule of law.
MAN seeks stronger institutional support
Speaking on behalf of the association’s caretaker committee, its chairman, Mrs Onome Nwankwo, urged magistrates to take greater responsibility for their professional development rather than depend exclusively on their employers for opportunities to improve their competence.
“We do not necessarily need to wait for our employers to ensure that we are enhanced. We should take proactive steps, as mentioned by the Chief Judge, to enhance ourselves,” she said.
Nwankwo said technological innovation offered opportunities to improve case management, record-keeping, access to court processes and the timely resolution of disputes.
She urged magistrates to embrace practical innovations that could promote efficiency and transparency while safeguarding judicial independence, fairness and equality before the law.
The caretaker committee chairman said the association’s progress should be measured by tangible improvements in members’ professional lives and the effectiveness of its institutional structures.
She called for an association in which members felt represented, their concerns received meaningful attention and democratic processes remained transparent, credible and inclusive.
Nwankwo also advocated stronger engagement with the National Judicial Council, state judiciaries and other relevant stakeholders to address issues affecting magistrates.
She said the association’s advocacy should be informed by research, professional literature and practical proposals, pursued with dignity, determination and integrity.
According to her, the forthcoming election presented an opportunity to strengthen the association, but its long-term success would depend on the collective commitment of members.
She urged delegates to conduct a peaceful, transparent and credible election capable of strengthening confidence in the association and laying a solid foundation for its future leadership.
Oke proposes data-driven reforms
In his keynote address, the Chief Registrar of the Ogun State High Court, Mr Oke Olakulehin Lukman, challenged magistrates to demonstrate their relevance through improved performance, innovation and professional resilience despite the institutional challenges confronting the magistracy.
He identified inadequate court facilities, heavy caseloads, delayed welfare provisions, uncertain career progression, outdated record-keeping systems and the slow adoption of technology as some of the challenges affecting judicial officers.
However, he argued that the future of the magistracy should not be determined solely by available resources or institutional support, but also by the quality of service magistrates rendered to the public.
“We must move beyond identifying institutional challenges to embracing innovation, relevance and professional resilience,” he said.
Lukman maintained that the relevance of magistrates should be measured by the quality of justice delivered, disputes resolved and problems addressed, rather than seniority, titles or years spent on the Bench.
He urged magistrates to improve case management by maintaining accurate records of pending cases, adjournments, procedural requirements and the duration of pre-trial detention.
He also advised them to identify recurring causes of delays, including prosecutors’ failure to appear in court, the non-production of defendants in custody and the unavailability of case files.
According to him, reliable records would help magistrates identify systemic problems and provide evidence-based grounds for seeking institutional intervention.
On technological innovation, the Chief Registrar encouraged judicial officers to adopt authorised digital tools for case tracking, court administration, record-keeping and communication.
He said artificial intelligence could assist with legal research, summarising lengthy documents and organising information, but warned against allowing the technology to replace independent judicial reasoning.
“Every proposition of law must be verified. Every decision must remain ours,” he said.
Lukman stressed that technological innovation must not compromise confidentiality, fair hearing, open justice or the rights of litigants who lacked reliable internet access or digital literacy.
He further urged magistrates to pursue continuous professional development, particularly in emerging areas of law such as electronic evidence, data protection, cybercrime and digital transactions.
He also emphasised the importance of treating litigants with dignity, maintaining professional conduct and ensuring that court proceedings were conducted fairly and efficiently.
According to him, the manner in which judicial officers handle proceedings could significantly influence public perceptions of the judiciary, regardless of the outcome of individual cases.
On performance assessment, Lukman advised magistrates to review their case-disposal rates, the age of pending cases, the frequency and causes of adjournments, the management of remand proceedings and the quality of their decisions.
He cautioned, however, against allowing numerical performance targets to encourage hurried or unjust decisions, noting that assessments must take into account the complexity of individual cases.
The Chief Registrar also proposed the establishment of an innovation network involving willing magistrates from different states to test practical improvements in case management, digital record-keeping and the monitoring of remand cases.
He said the initiative should produce a 12-month progress report detailing achievements, outstanding challenges and further steps required.
He further advocated a Magistracy Reform and Data Unit to collect reliable information on staffing, caseloads, court facilities, digital infrastructure, welfare, training and career progression across the states.
Lukman urged magistrates to build professional reputations on integrity, diligence, punctuality, sound legal reasoning and intellectual honesty.
He maintained that the future of the Nigerian magistracy would depend on professional competence, institutional support, responsible innovation and collective action.
Adelaja advocates improved welfare, career progression
In a separate contribution, Justice A. I. Adelaja called for improved welfare packages, adequate funding, transparent career progression and stronger safeguards against corruption within the magistracy.
Adelaja highlighted the importance of Magistrates’ Courts in the administration of justice, noting that they constituted the first, and sometimes the only, point of contact with the judiciary for many Nigerians.
The judge stressed that every court had a responsibility to protect citizens’ rights, particularly the rights to personal liberty and fair hearing.
On criminal justice administration, Adelaja called for stronger cooperation among magistrates, the police, correctional officers and Ministry of Justice officials to improve the implementation of criminal justice reforms.
The judge also advocated consideration of the Kenyan model of judicial financial autonomy, subject to appropriate adaptation to Nigeria’s constitutional and institutional framework.
Adelaja urged magistrates to reduce avoidable delays by sitting punctually, enforcing procedural rules appropriately and informing lawyers and litigants in advance whenever scheduled proceedings could not hold.
The judge also encouraged the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation, in suitable cases to reduce court congestion, lower litigation costs and promote amicable settlements.
Adelaja, however, warned that such mechanisms must not be imposed on unwilling parties or used to undermine their legal rights.
Ojutalayo identifies magistracy as foundation of public trust
Earlier, the keynote speaker, Mr Sola Ojutalayo, SAN, underscored the critical role of the magistracy in translating the constitutional promise of accessible and timely justice into practical benefits for Nigerians.
In his paper, titled “The Future of the Nigerian Magistracy in an Evolving Justice Sector,” Ojutalayo said public confidence in the judiciary was significantly shaped by experiences in Magistrates’ Courts, where many criminal, tenancy, debt recovery and family disputes were handled.
He noted that decisions on bail, remand proceedings and the determination of cases could have far-reaching consequences for personal liberty, livelihoods and the rights of litigants.
According to him, the effectiveness of the magistracy depends not merely on the existence of laws and courts but also on whether justice is delivered fairly, promptly and efficiently.
Ojutalayo called for stronger institutional support for magistrates, improved court facilities, better welfare packages, adequate staffing, continuous judicial education and transparent career progression.
He also advocated greater judicial financial autonomy, improved coordination among institutions in the justice sector and periodic reviews of existing laws to address emerging challenges.
The senior advocate maintained that addressing the challenges confronting magistrates was essential to improving access to justice and strengthening public confidence in the judiciary.
He said the future of the magistracy would depend on the combined strength of professional competence, integrity, institutional independence and effective administration.
The convention is expected to provide a platform for judicial officers to exchange ideas, examine institutional challenges and develop practical approaches to strengthening the magistracy and improving justice delivery across Nigeria.
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