Experimental Trials of the Virtual Court Proceedings in Nigeria: An Empirical Perspective

As Virtual Court Proceedings (VCP) continues to evolve globally, more considerations are emerging across jurisdictions to drive its acceptability. Given that implementation of VCP is still at a nascent stage in Nigeria, this paper explores the preference for VCP, the progression and the challenges encountered and/or envisaged in the adoption of VCP. The study takes on an empirical approach to elicit the views of practicing lawyers on the phenomenon of VCP in Nigeria. The responses of the 353 respondents were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22 and the results presented using descriptive statistics. The result showed that the adoption of VCP increased slightly between the period of 2020 and 2023 although the level of adoption is still below the desired mark. However, there remains a budding desire to retain VCP in the adjudicatory system. The implementation of VCP is and could be further challenged by poor infrastructure, technophobia, lack of technological skill and the challenge of tendering documentary evidence as revealed by the study. Investment in infrastructure and training is required to sustain VCP, as are requisite constitutional amendments and harmonization of existing Practice Directions with the Civil Procedure Rules in Nigeria.