Introduction:
On Monday, 29 June 2026, I attended a panel discussion on “Enhancing Justice Delivery Through E-Filing and Virtual Hearings—Opportunities, Challenges, and Implementation” at the ongoing NBA Lagos Law Week, which was very frank and interesting.
During the discussion, Hon. Justice Kashim Zannah, the Chief Judge of Borno State, spoke glowingly of the positive impact of the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS) in Borno and Rivers States, and how it was possible for a lawyer to file a lawsuit at the Borno State High Court from the comfort of their offices without having any interaction with a Registry official. His Lordship then added that the NCMS would be extended to the other Courts of the Federation and that very soon, the Records of Appeal and all other Court processes would be filed electronically at the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Those of us in the audience all clapped because we believe that it will be a very good development for the administration of justice in Nigeria if e-filings and virtual hearings could be fully adopted across all the courts in Nigeria. To be honest, I assumed that the future Justice Zannah described was still far away.
Remarkably, on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat M.O. Kekere-Ekun, unveiled the Supreme Court (Mandatory Upload of Electronic Copies of Processes, Record of Appeal, and Other Matters) Practice Directions, 2026 and the implementation of the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS) at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Why This Resonates With Me
I have reviewed the Practice Directions, and I am excited about what the future holds for the Nigerian judiciary. I once acted as Nigerian counsel in a cross-border family litigation involving Nigeria and the United Kingdom, working alongside English counsel who represented our client in the UK proceedings. Through that collaboration, I saw firsthand what it means for a UK High Court to fully adopt e-filing and virtual hearings. I silently prayed and wished that the Nigerian Courts would also reach the same level of widespread adoption of technology across all aspects of their operations as their United Kingdom counterpart does. Although we are not there yet, I am proud of the innovations that the Nigerian CJN is gradually introducing to ensure that the administration of justice in Nigeria fulfils the demands of the twenty-first century.
What the Practice Directions Require
The Practice Directions make it mandatory for parties in new and pending appeals to submit electronic copies of their records and filed processes through the Supreme Court’s designated online portal. The deadline for submitting electronic copies of court processes in pending matters shall be no later than thirty (30) days before the hearing. In addition, a matter shall not be scheduled for hearing if the parties do not submit their processes electronically in compliance with the Practice Directions. The Practice Directions also make it mandatory for an Appellant to pay the sum of N500,000.00 (Five hundred thousand naira) or such other amount as the Chief Justice may from time to time prescribe, as a fee for the transmission of the records.
Although paragraph 10 (2) of the Practice Directions provides that all parties shall submit the hard copies of electronically filed documents to the registry within seven (7) days or 48 hours before the hearing (whichever is earlier), I hope that this provision will eventually be removed once all relevant parties become very familiar with the NCMS platform.
The Objectives Behind the Reform
Anyone who reads the Practice Directions will easily understand that the CJN’s objectives are to improve the workflow at the Supreme Court, reduce opportunities for record tampering, disincentivise the filing of frivolous appeals, and strengthen the integrity of the appellate process. I also believe that it would make it easier for the Court’s registry to assign dates for civil appeals ripe for hearing, as the Supreme Court will now find it easy to track which matters are ripe for hearing.
This is how the CJN explained the objectives behind the reform in her speech:
“This electronic filing and digital record management will also enhance the Court’s capacity to detect irregularities, verify the authenticity of documents filed before it and maintain a transparent, secure and fully traceable record of every transaction undertaken on the platform. These measures are not intended merely to digitise existing processes. Rather, they are designed to improve the quality, reliability and efficiency of judicial administration at the apex Court and better position the Supreme Court to discharge its constitutional mandate in a manner consistent with the demands and expectations of a modern justice system.”
Conclusion
As the CJN stated in her speech, every major technological reform is likely to encounter practical challenges during its initial stages of implementation. We all have a duty as legal practitioners and as users of the Court to support the implementation of this reform and to advocate for its adoption across all the Courts in Nigeria. What began as a discussion I assumed was still far off, at the NBA Lagos Law Week panel just days earlier, is now underway at the apex of our judicial system, and that, to me, is genuinely worth celebrating.
Please note that this article reflects the personal views of the author and is provided for general information only. It does not constitute advice on any particular matter, whether legal, procedural, or otherwise. If you have questions about this article, please contact the author:
Faruq Abbas (Managing Partner): foa@abdu-salaamabbasandco.com.
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