The Human Rights Watch has stated that Nigerian court hearings that take place over the internet must be “fair, transparent and effective.”
The comment came after a man was sentenced to death during a Zoom court ruling in Lagos state.
In the quest to stop the spread of coronavirus, all but urgent court sittings in the country have been suspended.
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Judge Mojisola Dada, who presided over the online hearing sentenced Olalekan Hameed to [email protected] by hanging for murdering his employer’s mother.
Proceedings lasted almost three hours a number of lawyers and judges, including the attorney general viewing.
The defendant however pleaded not guilty.
According to Nigerian law, [email protected] sentences are approved by state governors before they can be carried out.
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The creation of the online court during the coronavirus outbreak shows a commitment to accessing justice the watch said.
However, the group has described the [email protected] sentence as “inherently cruel and inhumane”.
