By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. | adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
Editor, DDNews |
The Federal High Court of Nigeria has officially launched its electronic filing (e-filing) system in the Lagos Division, marking a major shift from the traditional paper-based judicial process to a fully digital platform. The inauguration ceremony, held on Monday, was presided over by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John T. Tsoho, who described the initiative as a critical and necessary step toward modernising Nigeria’s judiciary.
Justice Tsoho said the new e-filing platform is designed to enhance transparency, improve efficiency, and eliminate long-standing challenges associated with physical case files, such as tampering, loss, and unnecessary delays. “For too long, the corridors of the Federal High Court have been weighed down by mountains of paper files. Today, we declare that era over. This is not just about deploying technology; it is about removing the barriers that have historically slowed the administration of justice,” he stated.
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He explained that the system creates a verifiable digital trail for every court process, effectively preventing backdating and curbing exploitative practices within the registry. Justice Tsoho added that litigants and legal practitioners can now file cases remotely at any time, as the registry is no longer restricted by conventional working hours. “The registry no longer closes at 2 p.m. Filing can now be done from anywhere with internet access. The time it takes for a case file to reach a judge has been reduced from days to seconds,” he said.
He further encouraged lawyers to adopt digital signatures and make full use of the e-Affidavit platform for sworn documents, while noting that all payments would be processed through integrated channels to ensure accountability. Also speaking at the event, Chairman of the Judicial Information Technology Policy Committee and Chief Judge of the Borno State High Court, Justice Kashim Zannah, highlighted the resilience that digital systems bring to judicial operations.
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He cited the recent devastating flood in Maiduguri, where court facilities were submerged, yet no judicial records were lost because everything had been backed up in the cloud. “All registries were flooded, but we did not lose a single document because everything was stored in the cloud. Even while the courts were underwater, legal practitioners continued filing cases remotely, and court activities went on uninterrupted,” Justice Zannah said.
He noted that states such as Borno, Bayelsa, Delta, Niger, and Taraba have already embraced e-filing, and urged others, including Ekiti, Ebonyi, and Ogun, to follow suit without delay. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), represented by the Chairman of the Surulere Branch, Mr. Anene Nwadukwu, threw its full support behind the initiative, describing it as essential for sustaining Lagos’ reputation as a leading hub for efficient legal services.
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He maintained that the adoption of technology remains the surest path to improving justice delivery and aligning Nigeria’s judiciary with global best practices. The launch of the e-filing system in Lagos is expected to significantly reduce bottlenecks, enhance access to justice, and position the Federal High Court as a modern, technology-driven institution.
DDNewsOnline – Lagos
By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. (Beedee)
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