…as Lagos, Ekiti AGs withdraw suits
Supreme Court, on Tuesday, ruled that virtual court sittings are not unconstitutional.
The apex court’s seven-man panel led by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour held that virtual court sittings are presumed to be valid since they had not been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court panel also dismissed fears by many judges regarding the constitutionality of remote hearings in the country.
According to them, the Chief Judges of the states that have issued practice direction to provide for virtual sitting when convenient have the duty to enforce such directive.
The Supreme Court judges made the comments during the hearing of separate suits filed by the Attorneys-General of Lagos and Ekiti states on the adoption of remote hearings by judges in their states.
While Lagos State filed its suit challenging the power of the National Assembly to amend section 274 of the Constitution, which seeks including virtual proceedings in the Constitution, Ekiti State had urged the court to make an affirmative decision on the issue to remove the speculations and uncertainties being entertained about it by judges.
But the apex court panel described the suits by the Lagos and Ekiti states’ attorneys general as speculative as the suits did not disclose how virtual proceedings had injured the interest or right of anyone.
Both the Lagos State AG, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), and that of Ekiti State, Olawale Fapohunda, then withdrew the suits after the judges on the apex court panel said the suits were “academic and speculative.”
While striking out the suit, Justice Rhodes-Vivour held that “as of today, virtual sitting is not unconstitutional.”