The Supreme Court, Tuesday, has ruled that virtual court sittings are not unconstitutional, just as the Lagos State Government also withdrew its suit challenging the constitutionality of the online court sittings.
The Attorney General of Lagos State, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), withdrew the suit after the seven-man panel of the apex described it as speculative.
A seven-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour held that virtual court sittings are presumed to be valid and not been declared unconstitutional by the apex court.
Members of the panel allayed worries that centered on the constitutionality of remote hearings in the country, stating that Chief Judges of various states were okay to proceed with online hearings.
The panel 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.
The panel said that the lawsuit, which was similarly by filed Ekiti State, did not show how virtual proceedings had injured the interest or right of anyone.
In striking out the suit, Justice Rhodes-Vivour of the Supreme Court held that “as of today, virtual sitting is not unconstitutional”.
Recall that Lagos State, recently, 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 also prayed the apex court to make an affirmative decision on the issue to remove the speculations and uncertainties being entertained about it by judges.
