The Federal High Court of Nigeria has announced a rollout of its electronic filing system in the Lagos Judicial Division beginning 23 June, allowing manual and digital processes to run concurrently in the initial phase.
This adjustment, aimed at ensuring a smooth and inclusive transition, follows feedback and operational concerns raised by lawyers and other court users.
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The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, said the digitisation initiative remains on track but will now adopt a phased and blended implementation.
The court’s Chief Registrar, Sulaiman Hassan, in a statement on Monday, emphasised that the reform is being introduced gradually to accommodate infrastructure limitations and user preparedness.
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“This reform is being introduced with careful planning and in phases, taking into consideration the infrastructure, capacity, and preparedness of users and staff,” Mr Hassan said. “It is aimed at enhancing access to justice and aligning our processes with global best practices in judicial administration.”
Legal Mail is still mandatory
The court reaffirmed that access to the e-filing system requires lawyers to activate their Legal Mail accounts—an official, secure email platform managed by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). The statement said the Legal Mail will serve as the exclusive login credential for the e-filing portal.
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“Possession of a Legal Mail address is a mandatory prerequisite,” the Chief Registrar stated.
He advised lawyers to obtain Legal Mail accounts here.
Key dates
Although the e-filing system goes live on 23 June, Mr Hassan explained that the manual filing of new cases will continue temporarily.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that the court set June 20 as the final date for manual filings, but the hybrid model now allows both systems to operate simultaneously until further notice.
However, the statement stated that cases filed before 23 June will remain under the manual process until judgement is delivered.
Mr Hassan said law firms registering on the e-filing platform must upload their Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration documents when creating digital profiles. Additionally, all affidavit filings must be submitted through the court’s e-affidavit platform here, although deponents are still required to appear before a Commissioner for Oaths.
The court warned that any lawyer who understates claims or misdeclares documents to underpay filing fees—whether intentionally or not—will be required to pay the difference along with a N10,000 penalty per filing.
Capacity-building measures
To support the transition, the court has released instructional videos on how to use the e-filing system. These resources are available on YouTube via the Judicial Information Technology Policy Office (JITPO) channel, and will also be shared across professional WhatsApp groups for lawyers.
READ ALSO: Federal High Court to launch e-filing system in Lagos
In addition, a two-day interactive training session is planned to help lawyers and law firms become familiar with the system. The exact date, time, and venue will be announced later.
The Lagos launch follows similar reforms in the Abuja Division and aligns with the National Judicial Council’s Judicial Information Technology Policy, which seeks to modernise court operations, improve transparency, and boost efficiency.
Legal practitioners have been urged to comply strictly with the procedures and deadlines as the court advances its digital transformation agenda.
“All legal practitioners are enjoined to be guided accordingly and to ensure strict compliance,” the court’s notice added.
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