In commemoration of Data Backup Day, the Open Society on Justice Reform Project (OSJRP), a group advocating for access to justice, has urged stakeholders in the judiciary to acknowledge the vital role of data protection in justice administration.

The group said data backup was more than a mere IT requirement but an essential component of judicial integrity, stressing that poor and unreliable data backup systems have contributed to case file losses, and delays in trials in the judiciary.

Executive Director, Mr Sam Akpologun, in Lagos called for an efficient and accountable justice sector and noted that protecting legal data means protecting human rights, due process, and access to justice.

The group said the biggest challenge to effective justice delivery is a poor digital infrastructure and data management within the judiciary.

“Poor or unreliable data backup systems has contributed to case file losses, delays in trials, and a lack of transparency in judicial processes. Without proper data protection measures, sensitive legal documents would continue to be susceptible to corruption, tampering, and deliberate or accidental destruction.”

He cited Lagos judiciary as an example, stating that Lagos judiciary trying to recover from the arson that affected its files and data during the #EndSARS protest where the oldest judicial building in Nigeria, the Lagos High Court, Igbosere, was razed down leading to the destruction and loss of sensitive files and data.

“The destruction of some of these data and files would appear premeditated. Whatever success in the recovery of data that has been had today was mainly attributed to the partial digitization of records through the Digital Information Litigation (DIL) system that commenced in 2013. Even then, the Lagos Judicial system is yet to fully recover from the unfortunate situation,” he said.

OSJRP however states that data backup plays a critical role in justice administration and should be prioritised.