Lawyers boycott Ogun courts over judiciary policies

Court proceedings were disrupted across Ogun on Monday as lawyers boycotted sittings to protest policies introduced by the state judiciary.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the three-day boycott which began on Monday, was organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) branches in Abeokuta, Sagamu and Ota.

NBA Abeokuta Branch Chairman, Kayode Aderemi, led officials to enforce the boycott at the Isabo High Court and the Judiciary Complex in Kobape, Abeokuta.

Some lawyers from outside Ogun as well as litigants, were reportedly unaware of the action, leaving many stranded after arriving for scheduled court proceedings.

Aderemi said the boycott followed unsuccessful efforts to engage the judiciary over policies the association considered unfavourable to lawyers and court users.

“The boycott is in protest against certain policies of the Ogun state judiciary, which we believe are inimical to the interests of our members.

“Some of these policies include the payment of a N100,000 virtual hearing fee. This means that any litigant who wishes to have a matter heard virtually must pay ₦100,000 for each virtual session.

“Also the increase in the oath administration fee from N200 to over N1,500. Our clients have complained about this increase, and it has also affected legal practitioners, who are constantly being questioned by their clients,” he said.

Aderemi also cited the restriction limiting lawyers to processing only four witness oaths per day, saying it would delay cases involving numerous witnesses.

“If I have 15 or more witnesses in a case, what happens?. We believe this policy unjustifiably limits lawyers in carrying out their professional duties,” he said.

He said compliance with the boycott was almost total among lawyers within the jurisdiction, except for a few practitioners from outside the state.

He noted that lawyers within their jurisdiction have recorded almost 100 per cent compliance.

However, the Chief Registrar of the Ogun State High Court,  Olakulehin Oke, said the judiciary had not received any official notice of the boycott from any NBA branch.

“There has been no official communication from any branch of the Nigerian Bar Association notifying us of any court boycott,” Oke said.

He defended the N100,000 virtual hearing fee, saying technology-driven justice delivery required substantial investment in infrastructure and maintenance.

He noted that technology comes with costs, adding that more than 600 virtual hearings have been successfully conducted across nine of the state’s 11 judicial divisions.

Oke said witnesses had participated virtually from Australia, Canada and the United States, demonstrating the effectiveness of the digital court system.

He also justified the increase in oath administration fees, attributing it to the judiciary’s electronic affidavit system introduced through a technology partnership.

“Similar systems operate in Oyo, Ondo, Rivers, the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos. Only Lagos charges less than Ogun,” Oke said.

According to him, Lagos charges lower fees because of its larger number of court users, making its digital operations more economically sustainable.