The Federal High Court of Nigeria has announced that manual filing of new cases in the Lagos Judicial Division will cease on 20 June, ahead of the commencement of its electronic filing (e-filing) platform on 23 June.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Registrar, Mr Sulaiman Hassan, all cases filed before the go-live date will continue to be processed manually until judgment is delivered.
He warned that any legal practitioner who deliberately or inadvertently understates the amount claimed, or inaccurately declares the number or type of documents filed thereby leading to the under-assessment of applicable fee will be required to pay the outstanding balance along with a penalty of ₦10,000 for each incorrect filing.
Also Read: JUSUN Strike: Federal High Court Shut as Workers Begin Indefinite Action
To ensure a smooth transition, Mr Hassan stated that all legal practitioners must obtain their Legal Mail accounts before the platform goes live, as possession of a Legal Mail address is a mandatory prerequisite for access to the e-filing system.
He advised lawyers to visit https://nigerianbar.ng to apply for their Legal Mail accounts.
Documents requiring an oath must be submitted through the court’s e-affidavit portal (https://affidavit.courts.gov.ng), and the deponent must appear before the commissioner for oaths for administration of the oath.
Each law chamber is also required to upload all relevant documents relating to its registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) when creating its profile on the e-filing platform.
In addition, the Chief Registrar disclosed that a two-day interactive session will be held to further enlighten legal practitioners on the effective use of the e-filing system.
