A newly published legal analysis has returned attention to the admissibility of computer-generated and electronic documents under Nigerian evidence law.
The article examines the statutory requirements governing digital material frequently tendered during litigation, including emails, electronically generated bank records, photographs, videos and documents downloaded or stored through computer systems.
The authors emphasise that the relevance of a document does not automatically make it admissible.
The analysis focuses particularly on Section 84 of the Evidence Act 2011, which established specific conditions governing the tendering of computer-generated evidence.
For practising lawyers, the issue has become increasingly important because commercial transactions, criminal investigations, employment relationships and everyday communication are now extensively documented electronically.
A party may therefore have evidence that appears compelling on its face but still encounter evidential objections if statutory requirements governing production, authentication or certification have not been satisfied.
The practical lesson is that electronic-evidence strategy should begin before trial. Counsel must understand where information originated, how it was generated or stored, whether its integrity can be established and what evidentiary foundation is necessary for admission.
As artificial intelligence and increasingly sophisticated manipulation tools develop, questions concerning authenticity and chain of custody are also likely to become even more significant.
Source: TheNigeriaLawyer.
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