The Federal High Court of Nigeria has confirmed that the digitization of its filing system in the Lagos Judicial Division will commence on June 23, 2025, as initially scheduled, but with a significant revision: the e-filing process will now operate concurrently with the traditional manual filing system.

In a statement released on Monday and signed by the Chief Registrar, Sulaiman Amida Hassan, Esq., the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, announced the adoption of a hybrid implementation policy to ease the transition into full digitization.

The decision, according to the Chief Judge, was taken after careful consideration of feedback and operational concerns raised by legal practitioners and court users. Justice Tsoho stated that the reform is being introduced “with careful planning and in phases,” taking into account the infrastructure, technical capacity, and preparedness of both staff and external users.

“It is also to enhance access to justice and align with global best practices in judicial administration,” the statement read.

Legal practitioners were further reminded to activate their Legal Mail accounts through the Nigerian Bar Association portal at https://nigerianbar.ng, as this remains a critical requirement for accessing the e-filing system.

The Court pledged to issue further updates, including a revised timeline for full digitization, as implementation progresses.

The hybrid approach appears to be a response to strong concerns earlier raised by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, who on Sunday called on the Chief Judge and court authorities to suspend the planned full digitization of the Lagos Division’s registry.

In a strongly worded public statement, Adegboruwa praised the Federal High Court’s reform agenda but warned against what he described as the “hasty and exclusive implementation” of e-filing, initially announced to take full effect from June 23.

“There is need for caution,” he noted. “Filing and prosecution of cases go beyond e-filing and processing; they involve fundamental constitutional rights of litigants and their lawyers.”

Adegboruwa questioned the practicality and fairness of rolling out such a sweeping reform less than a month before the court’s long vacation (July 28 to September 16), and before the division relocates to its new ultra-modern complex, which is expected to better support digital operations.

He also criticized what he called “half measures,” asking whether digital filings would be complemented by digital court operations such as electronic proceedings, cause lists, certified true copies, and service of court processes.

He raised critical concerns over:

  • Internet accessibility in underserved areas
  • Cybersecurity risks and data protection
  • Lack of a unified digitization strategy across trial and appellate courts

Highlighting the inconsistencies that may arise from having a digitized Federal High Court and a still-manual Court of Appeal, he warned that appeal processes could become unnecessarily fragmented.

Adegboruwa proposed that the digitization run side-by-side with the manual process until full public buy-in is achieved. He likened the suggested dual approach to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s currency transition, where both old and new Naira notes were accepted concurrently.

“Let digitization run contemporaneously with manual filing until such a time that all those who patronize the court have become accustomed to the new system,” he urged.

Follow Our WhatsApp Channel ________________________________________________________________________ The Law And Practice Of Redundancy In Nigeria: A Practitioner’s Guide, Authored By A Labour & Employment Law Expert Bimbo Atilola _______________________________________________________________________

[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials

“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.

Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation

______________________________________________________________________ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR LAWYERS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. Bonus: Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.

How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com

Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626