Information Technology Adoption and Efficiency of Court Administration in Enugu State Judiciary

This study examines the adoption of information technology (IT) tools and their effects on the efficiency of court administration in the Enugu State Judiciary, located in Nigeria's South East geopolitical zone. Court delays, case backlog, and administrative inefficiencies have long undermined access to justice in Nigerian courts, and IT adoption has been proposed as a transformative solution. A professional survey design is used, collecting data from 160 judges, magistrates, court registrars, lawyers, and litigants in three divisions of the Enugu State High Court. Data are analysed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) provides the theoretical framework, examining perceived usefulness and ease of use as determinants of IT adoption among court administrators. Findings indicate that the partial introduction of electronic case management software has reduced average case scheduling delays by approximately 22 percent, yet full system potential is undermined by insufficient training for registrars, inadequate hardware infrastructure, and resistance from senior judges accustomed to paper-based processes. Cybersecurity concerns and the absence of a legal framework for electronic court records further constrain adoption. Recommendations include a phased IT investment plan for all state courts, mandatory IT literacy training for judicial and administrative staff, and the enactment of an electronic records management law. Keywords: information technology, court administration, judiciary, Enugu State, access to justice.