Federal High Court ends manual filing, forces lawyers Into digital system

By Akin Kuponiyi

The Federal High Court of Nigeria will commence full electronic filing of cases in its Lagos Judicial Division from April 27, 2026, formally ending manual filing of new matters.

In a notice issued on March 30 and signed by Acting Chief Registrar, Yahaya Yakubu Shafa, the court said April 24, 2026, would be the final date for manual filing of fresh cases in Lagos, after which all new processes must be filed exclusively through the e-filing platform.

The directive marks a major digital shift in court operations aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and case management within one of Nigeria’s busiest judicial divisions.

The court, however, clarified that all cases instituted before the go-live date would continue under the manual system until judgment is delivered and such matters are fully disposed of.

To enforce compliance, the court warned that any legal practitioner who understates claims or misrepresents documents in a manner that leads to underpayment of filing fees will be required to pay the outstanding balance along with a penalty of ₦10,000 per filing.

It also made it mandatory for lawyers to obtain a Legal Mail account as a prerequisite for accessing the e-filing platform, directing that applications be processed through the Nigerian Bar portal.

In addition, all oath-related documents must be processed via the court’s e-affidavit system, although deponents are still required to appear physically before a Commissioner for Oaths.

Law firms and chambers are further required to upload their Corporate Affairs Commission registration documents when creating profiles on the platform.

To ease the transition, the court said instructional videos have been made available online, while a two-day interactive training session for legal practitioners will be held between April 20 and April 24, with details to be announced.

The court urged strict compliance with the new regime, signalling a decisive move towards digitisation of judicial processes in Lagos.