A group, Open Society Justice Reform Project, OSJRP, has called on judiciary stakeholders to recognise the critical role of data protection in justice administration.

Its Executive Director, Sam Akpologun, made the appeal while addressing newsmen in commemoration of Data Backup Day in Ikeja.

Akpologun a Pastor at Strong Tower Evangelical Assembly Incorporated, said data backup is more than a mere Information Technology, IT, requirement; it is an essential component of judicial integrity.

According to Akpologun, poor and unreliable data backup systems had contributed to case file losses and delayed trials in courts.

He said protecting legal data meant protecting human rights, due process, and access to justice, identifying the biggest challenge to effective justice delivery as the poor state of digital infrastructure and data management within the judiciary.

In his words, Poor or unreliable data backup systems has contributed to case file losses, delay in trials and lack of transparency in judicial processes.

Akpologun said without proper data protection measures, sensitive legal documents remain susceptible to corruption, tampering, and intentional or accidental destruction.

He gave an instance of the arson that occurred during the #EndSARS protest, when the oldest judicial building in Nigeria, Igbosere Court, was razed, resulting in the destruction and loss of sensitive files and data.

According to Akpologun, the recovery of data was largely attributed to the partial digitisation of records through the Digital Information Litigation system, which commenced in 2013.

He added that data backup played a critical role in justice administration, saying a robust data protection framework in the justice sector will prevent the loss of critical legal records due to human error, cyber attacks, or infrastructural failures.

Akpologun said it will also improve efficiency by enabling quick retrieval of case files, reducing case backlogs, enhancing transparency and accountability by ensuring that court records are tamper-proof and easily auditable.

He said although the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 has been passed, the implementation of strong data protection policies in the judiciary remains weak.

The group boss noted that courts still operated largely with paper-based systems, as electronic case management was still in its infancy.

According to him, the slow adoption of automated court systems and secure data backup protocols has made judicial processes more cumbersome and prone to manipulation.

Akpologun said achieving sustainable access to justice required modernising judicial infrastructure, saying to bridge the data protection gap, he advocate for the full implementation of digital case management systems across all levels of the judiciary.

He recommend regular data backups of judicial records to prevent losses that could delay justice delivery, advocate for the adoption of cloud-based and secure offline storage solutions for legal documents.

Akpologun recommend stronger enforcement of Nigeria’s Data Protection Act within the justice sector, capacity-building programmes for judicial officers on data protection best practices.

The Group Executive Director urge judicial stakeholders, government agencies, and civil society to recognise the critical role of data protection in justice administration.