Redeemer’s University Law Faculty holds distinguished lecture in honour of Justice Onibokun
By Isa Isawade, Osun
The Faculty of Law at Redeemer’s University, Ede, was abuzz with intellectual discourse on Wednesday, as it hosted its 2026 Distinguished Personality Lecture in honour of Honourable Justice Adedotun Adedamola Grace Onibokun (PhD), a distinguished jurist and an alumna of the University of Lagos.
The lecture, themed “The Paths of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Information Technology: What is More and What is Less?”, was delivered by Professor Tayo Bello, a Professor of Law at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, and an Attorney at Law in New York, USA.
The occasion was chaired by Professor Oluwaseun O. Ajayi (SAN), Dean of the Faculty of Law, Redeemer’s University, and a former Attorney General of Osun State.
In his welcome address, Professor Ajayi lauded Justice Onibokun as an exemplary figure in the legal profession whose career trajectory is a testament to hard work, dedication, and excellence. The event was hosted by the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of the Faculty of Law.
Professor Bello’s lecture provided a critical examination of the intersection between Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and the rapidly evolving world of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). He noted that while ADR has traditionally relied on human communication, confidentiality, and party autonomy, the rise of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual mediation has fundamentally transformed the landscape.
The central question of his presentation was, “What is more, and what is less, when technology becomes integrated into ADR?” Professor Bello argued that technology should not be viewed as a simple replacement for traditional ADR. “Rather, technology constitutes an additional dimension of ADR capable of improving dispute resolution where properly designed and governed,” he stated.
He proposed a “Human-Centred Technology-Assisted ADR Framework,” emphasising that technological efficiency must operate in harmony with due process, confidentiality, party autonomy, equality, transparency, human oversight, and access to justice.
The guest lecturer concluded that the principal issue is not whether technology is more or less valuable than traditional ADR, but whether it is being deployed in a manner that enhances the fundamental purposes of ADR without undermining its human and procedural foundations.
To harness the benefits of technology while mitigating its risks, Professor Bello recommended the development of a Nigerian ODR Framework to specifically address Online Dispute Resolution. This framework, according to him, should establish minimum standards for security, confidentiality, authentication, accessibility, procedural fairness, platform governance, electronic settlement and enforcement.
Bello also recommended establishment of robust policies on AI governance in ADR. These policies, he maintained, should regulate permitted AI applications, human oversight, confidentiality, data use, verification, disclosure, and responsibility for errors.
The lecture was a fitting tribute to Justice Onibokun, whose illustrious career is marked by numerous accolades. A 1983 graduate of the University of Lagos, she won multiple prizes for her outstanding academic performance, including the Vice Chancellor’s Prize for the Best Performance at the Degree Level (Law). She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984, she furthered her education with a Master of Laws (LLM) in 2020 and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 2023 from Babcock University.
Before her elevation to the High Court bench in 2006, she served as a Director of Public Prosecutions in Osun State and as Company Secretary/Legal Adviser to Rank Xerox. As a High Court Judge, she is a two-time recipient of Letters of Commendation by the National Judicial Council (NJC) in 2008 and 2009.
Justice Onibokun is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Institute of Mediators and Conciliators, further cementing her expertise in the very field of the lecture delivered in her honour.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks and a renewed commitment from the Faculty of Law, Redeemer’s University, to continue fostering academic excellence and preparing its students for the evolving challenges of the legal profession.