The United States has partnered with Ogun to launch an electronic court scheduling and case management system to improve criminal justice administration in the state.

U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, said the initiative is expected to reduce court delays and case backlogs and deliver justice more efficiently.

“The new case management system was developed as a solution to promote efficiency in the allocation of time and resources to court cases.

“We have high hopes that the electronic court scheduling and case management system will help speed up the pace of criminal justice in Ogun State,” Ms Leonard said.

During the launch with Ogun governor, Dapo Abiodun, in Abeokuta on Tuesday, Ms Leonard said the partnership would help in the establishment of the Corrections Information Management System and the Court Attendance Endorsement Form.

Ms Leonard said both “serve the key goals to decongest prisons, provide the necessary infrastructure to speed up the pace of criminal adjudication, and to ensure the creation of data that will document any delays.”

The Nigeria Correctional Services’ Ogun State Command uses the Corrections Information Management System to track and record how long pre-trial detainees are held in detention.

Similarly, the Court Attendance Endorsement Form allows correctional facilities and courts in Ogun State to keep track of inmates’ court appearances and case hearings.

Mr Abiodun praised the U.S. for their collaboration, which culminated in the state judiciary’s adoption of an electronic court scheduling and case management system, characterizing it as a “trailblazing endeavour” in the administration of justice in the state.

Mosunmola Dipeolu, the Chief Judge of Ogun, advised judges, magistrates, and other judicial authorities in the state to adopt the new computerised method.

“Digitization will aid quick dispensation of justice and make our job as judges easier with the ripple effect of attracting investors to the state,” Mr Dipeolu said.

The state government collaborated with local law firm Olaniwun Ajayi Legal Practitioners to prepare a document explaining this new approach with the help of the U.S. Mission’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).