Legal icon, Yusuf Olaolu Ali, (SAN) has warned Nigerians, especially students in tertiary institutions to be weary of the consequences of abusing the use of the social media, saying there are now laws that punish such crimes in the country, with no respect for ignorance.
Ali gave the warning on Wednesday, while delivering the inaugural lecture of the Federal University Oye Ekiti, (FUOYE) Law Faculty entitled: “Social Media in Aid of Legal Practice”, saying cases associated with internet crimes are treated as heinous, charging Nigerians to avoid being involved.
He also listed the gains and disadvantages of using social media by law firms and legal practitioners, urging them to be vigilant in checking the tendencies of the social media to damage their reputation, or disclose sensitive or confidential information on their clients or compromise the fairness of justice dispensation in law courts among others.
While analysing the benefits and challenges of social media in law practice to the students and members of the University community, he took his audience through several areas of concerns and improvement the social media had brought to law practice.
According to him, social media is one of the good things that had happened to the current generation, but said embracing the good and educative aspect of it, instead of the negative, was the most appropriate.
He defined certain terms, related to social media and the law profession, which included the concept of social media, legal practitioners, regulatory bodies, legal practice, legal ethics and profession and legal services among others.
He further clarified that though social media has many benefits towards advancing law practice, the technology driven mass communication platform, had also made the law profession and practice more challenging in a digital age.
He pointed out areas of challenges of social media in law practice, one of which is in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), he insisted that there are laws already in place to punish crimes committed on social media against anyone.
“ Social media allows users to easily share information and opinions with a wide audience.
” However, this also opens up the possibility of defamatory statements or false accusations, being made against individuals or businesses.
” Victims of defamation can pursue legal action to protect their reputation and seek compensation, “ he warned.
He cautioned students of tertiary institutions, especially those interested in pursuing law programme against excessive indulgence in social media, as that could have adverse effect on their ability to study Law.
“While social media can be a valuable tool for Law Students, it also presents potential drawbacks, because excessive use of social media can lead to time management issues, potentially diverting law students’ focus from their studies and affecting academic performance.
” Continuous notifications, and the lure of social media updates, may contribute to distractions and procrastination, hindering students’ ability to concentrate on legal research and coursework.”
“ Despite numerous benefits, social media has also introduced challenges in the field of ADR. These challenges include privacy concerns, mis-information, and the potential for escalation of disputes, due to public and viral nature of social media interactions” .
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He said ” As social media continues to evolve, the impact on ADR will likely continue to change and grow.
“ With the rise of social media, cybercrimes, such as hacking, identity theft, online stalking, and bullying, have also increased.
” Criminal laws have been adapted to address these new forms of criminal activity, and law enforcement agencies actively monitor social media platforms to identify and apprehend cyber-criminals”.
Speaking, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina , commended the guest lecturer for his impactful lecture, describing him as highly successful and cerebral legal practitioner who had brought his wealth of experience in Law practice to bear with university community.
The Vice-Chancellor also announced Ali, as a Professor of Law Practice of the University at the event.
While assuring the students of more exposure to such insightful lectures and other opportunities, the VC, said efforts were on by management to see to the full accreditation of the Law programme of the University, even as a state-of-the-art facility for sound and practical teaching of Law programmes had equally been put in place.
In attendance at the event were the entire management team of the University comprising the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC), Administration, Prof. Tajudeen Bolanle Opoola, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, Prof. Olubunmi Shittu , Registrar, Mr. Mufutau Ibrahim, Bursar, Mrs. Bolanle Debo-Ajagunna and the University librarian, Dr. Isaac Busayo as well as heads of units and directorates.
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