DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPUTERIZED DOCUMENTATION SYSTEM OF COURT PROCEEDINGS (A CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL HIGH COURT ENUGU STATE)

ABSTRACT

As the complexity and degrees of crimes widen, system using new technology will have to be utilized to aid lawyers etc to fight this tends.

Justice is to deal with somebody properly in an appropriate manner, fair and right treatment. Everybody earnestly desires it in all cases, court proceedings pertaining justice requires almost accuracy.

The aim behind the design of this software it to model a computerized documentation system of court proceedings in handling cases.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

In a bid to solve their problems and make life less cumbersome have been evolving from one idea to another. They have tried many way to actualize their dreams.  But unfortunately, there are little or no progress because they did not hav the technologies to carry them through for technologically and scientifically they were but full of crude ideas.

Technological developments penetrates through the century and enable man to do many things without much problem.  Suffice it to say that it is the quest to make life better and less cumbersome that the Almighty technological too – computer ever know and seen by man enters.  It is reshaping our world and will go on reshaping it.

The history of computer and computing may said to begin with the abacus, a machine that aid humans in calculation more than 5,000 years ago.  Down the evolutionary trend, names of people like John Napier, Blaise Pascal, Gottfried Wilhelm, Charles babbage etc.  cannot be left out.  It is the difficulties and weak points of manual operations in our works that let to the development of this powerful tool.

What computer can do in all aspect of human endeavours computer can be seen as the most effective tool in 1982, a land mark was created in history when a paraplegic Nandaris with the aid of computer walk for the first time after a job.  That is  computer in son field of medicine.

Engineering and science, computer can be use to stimulate, create, and design complex industry equipment in manufacturing industries.

In hostile environment – computer controlled robots can be used to explore places that ate harmful to human beings and can work in areas like nuclear plant where human beings cannot

 Investigation and crime detection, computer programs can be used to search and locate missing people and things wherever they may be at any point in time.

Computer and law service, the wonder of computer is not very far from the court proceedings and all other court activities due to it can be used to store some criminal five and retrieve if need be at any given time.

The introduction of computer in court proceeding will enhance the speedy and accurate efficiency and effective attendance of each and every clients in the court.

If computer is applied in design and implementation of documentation system of court proceedings.  It will help to improve the judiciary of the nation to attain maximum utility.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There are many methods that being used in law court proceeding system.

1. Lack of computer for storage of court proceedings.  There is tendency of Federal court Enugu to loose some files which will bring distrust to them.
2. There are not many personnel, that are trained as computer operator and computer annalists.
3. Due to the computer is not appropriately applied in court proceeding the people that handle the case can falsify some documents and try to take bribe to free hoodlums.

Due to the problem mentioned above, the manual of court proceedings is clumsy and insufficient.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

All effects of the researchers are pearled towards the gathering of sufficient information that would help in making suggestion as how the Federal court will be storing the court proceeding.

It high to increase the efficiency and productivity of bank services with the increased utilization of internet court proceeding service system.

This study is also undertaken to ease the problem associated with court proceedings in Federal High Court and also to create awareness for the use of computer software in the legal Aid council.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim and objective of the study is to expose all the lapses of the existing manual system of court proceeding in legal Aid Council and for the program to be able to store a very large volume of court proceeding and for easy access and retrieval of information needed for a case.

SCOPE

This work covers only the legal aspect of the Legal Council Enugu.  Hence, the administration files are not considered.

LIMITATIONS

 Many factors have limited this, some of these factors are:

TIME:         The time allocated to research work for this study was greatly constrained due to intense academic activities involving the researcher.

FINANCE: The major constraints for this study occurred in the form of inadequate funds.  The present high cost of material, access to a personal computer unit for running and debugging of the application program, transportation expenses to an from the site of computer etc militated against the smooth and easy advancement of the work..

ASSUMPTIONS

          I assume that the documentation of system of court proceedings input specification of Legal Aid Council is the same for all legal industries.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

COMPUTER:       An electronic device that input data, process it, and bring it out as an information.

FILE:          It is collection of related data or records.

PROGRAM:         Series of instruction to the computer.

SOFTWARE:       This is a general term to describe all the programs which may be used to run a computer system, together with the associated documents.

HARDWARE:     This describes the physical devices, which makes up the computer system.

DATA:       this is any representation of facts that can be fed into the computer for processing.

INDEX BOOK:    A documentation book written in index format used to process a law report.