Federal High Court To End Manual Filing April 24, Launches E-Filing

The Federal High Court of Nigeria will fully transition to electronic filing of cases in its Lagos Judicial Division on April 27, 2026, marking a significant step toward digitalising court processes and improving efficiency in case management.

In a notice issued on Monday, Acting Chief Registrar Yahaya Shafa set April 24, 2026, as the final date for the manual filing of new cases in the Lagos Division.

“The electronic filing platform shall become operational in the Lagos Judicial Division with effect from April 27, 2026. Accordingly, the final date for the manual filing of new cases in the Lagos Division shall be 24th April 2026. Thereafter, all new filings must be conducted exclusively through the e-filing platform,” the notice stated.

The court clarified that cases instituted before the go-live date would continue to be processed manually until they are concluded.

“All matters instituted prior to the go-live date shall continue to be processed manually until judgement is delivered and such matters are finally disposed of,” it said.

To ensure compliance with filing requirements, the court warned legal practitioners against under-declaration of claims or misrepresentation of filed documents.

“Any person who, whether deliberately or inadvertently, understates the amount claimed or inaccurately declares the number or nature of documents filed shall be required to pay the outstanding balance in addition to a penalty of Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000) per filing,” the notice added.

As part of the transition, all lawyers are required to obtain Legal Mail accounts, which are mandatory for accessing the e-filing platform.

“All Legal Practitioners are required to obtain their Legal Mail accounts prior to the go-live date, as possession of a Legal Mail address is a mandatory prerequisite for access to the e-filing platform,” the notice said.

The court also introduced a hybrid system for affidavits, combining digital submission with physical oath administration.

“All documents requiring oath administration must be processed through the e-Affidavit platform. Notwithstanding this, the deponent must physically appear before a Commissioner for Oaths for the administration of the oath,” the notice added.

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

To aid the transition, instructional videos have been made available on YouTube, and additional guidance will be shared via designated lawyers’ WhatsApp platforms. A two-day interactive training session on the e-filing system is planned within the week of April 20 to 24, 2026, with the exact date, time, and venue to be communicated in due course.

“All legal practitioners are hereby enjoined to be guided accordingly and to ensure strict compliance,” the notice concluded.

The rollout is part of broader efforts to modernise judicial processes in Nigeria and reduce delays associated with manual filing systems, providing lawyers and the public with faster, more efficient case management.