Justice by Click: Is Nigeria’s Federal High Court Ready to Go Fully Digital?
In just a few days, on June 20, 2025, the Federal High Court in Lagos will no longer accept manual filings. A sweeping new directive mandates that all court processes—whether originating or interlocutory—must be electronically filed going forward.
To many, this is a bold leap toward judicial modernization. To others, it is an unforgiving race into a future Nigeria is not yet prepared for.
As this transition deadline looms, legal practitioners across the country are split—not necessarily in ideology, but in readiness. The Nigerian judiciary has long been criticized for delays, inefficiency, and an archaic paper-based system. So why is a long-awaited upgrade now being met with panic?
The Dream of a Digitized Judiciary
The idea of e-filing is not new. In fact, Nigeria’s journey toward digital justice began over a decade ago, following global trends and a local push to address the inefficiencies in judicial administration. Courts in Abuja and Lagos have served as guinea pigs, piloting e-filing platforms that allow lawyers to upload documents, track cases, and communicate with registrars without ever stepping into a courtroom.
The initiative gained urgency in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when remote hearings, virtual conferencing, and electronic affidavits became unavoidable. It proved that digitization wasn’t a luxury—it was a necessity. However, that pandemic-era progress has slowed, leaving behind a patchwork of success stories and digital fatigue.
The 2025 directive by the Federal High Court in Lagos is thus seen by many as an overdue step to revive momentum. Yet the urgency is precisely what some fear may derail the process.
The SAN's Outcry: A Call for Caution
Enter Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, one of Nigeria’s most respected constitutional lawyers. Earlier this month, Adegboruwa made headlines when he called on the court to suspend or postpone the June 20 deadline.
His concerns are not theoretical—they are practical. “You cannot enforce electronic filing without first ensuring that the infrastructure is in place,” he stated. In a press release, he warned that access to justice could be restricted, especially for lawyers who do not have the technical resources to navigate the e-filing platform, and for litigants in remote areas where internet connectivity is unreliable or even nonexistent.
Adegboruwa also pointed to a lack of adequate stakeholder consultation and practical orientation. “This transition cannot be by fiat,” he argued. “It must be by design, dialogue, and demonstration.”
A Court Struggling with the Old and the New
For those unfamiliar, the traditional court filing process in Nigeria is often a bureaucratic labyrinth. Lawyers stand in long queues at registries, move from one desk to another to validate documents, and face unpredictable delays due to missing files or absent officers.
E-filing promises an end to all of that. In theory, it would offer:
- Real-time submission of court processes: Legal practitioners would be able to submit originating processes and motions online from anywhere, reducing the time and cost associated with travelling to court registries. This would especially benefit law firms handling cases in multiple jurisdictions.
- Reduced physical congestion in court premises: By eliminating the need for in-person filings, courts can reduce human traffic in their registries and administrative departments, freeing up space and improving general order within courthouse premises.
- Enhanced transparency and document security: With all case files stored electronically, the risk of file loss, tampering, or damage due to poor handling or storage conditions is drastically reduced. The system would maintain a timestamp of every filing, creating an auditable trail of court activity.
- Remote access for parties, including those abroad: Lawyers, clients, and even judges can access case files and hearing notices from anywhere in the world. This is particularly helpful in complex civil litigation involving international parties or diaspora clients.
However, the reality is more complex. Nigeria still grapples with erratic power supply, low internet penetration (especially outside urban centers), and a general lack of digital literacy among court workers and lawyers. While some private firms and high-end chambers may have in-house IT staff to manage e-filings, many solo practitioners and small chambers do not.
The Dangers of a One-Size-Fits-All Reform
Reform in Nigeria is often met with suspicion—not because change is unwelcome, but because of how it is implemented. There is a long history of well-meaning but poorly executed policies that end up excluding the very people they were meant to serve.
We’ve seen it in the banking sector, where cashless policies left rural dwellers stranded. We saw it with digital tax registration, which ignored the realities of Nigeria’s large informal economy. The judiciary may now be poised to make a similar misstep, critics warn.
The risk isn’t only that some will be left behind. It’s that justice itself—already slow, costly, and intimidating—may become more elusive.
What Needs to Be Done?
The way forward, many argue, is not cancellation but calibration.
Adegboruwa and others have called for a phased rollout that includes:
- Maintaining manual filing alongside e-filing until at least the end of 2025. This dual-track system would allow legal practitioners and court staff to gradually adapt to the digital system while maintaining uninterrupted access to justice for those unable to transition immediately.
- Providing training sessions for lawyers, especially young and rural-based practitioners. The Nigerian Bar Association and judiciary can collaborate to offer workshops and webinars on how to use the platform, covering everything from file formatting and digital signatures to uploading processes and tracking motions.
- Upgrading court ICT infrastructure to handle high server traffic and avoid downtime. This would include installing backup generators, expanding data storage capacity, and hiring technical support teams who can resolve issues in real-time.
- Investing in alternative access points, such as e-filing kiosks in local government courts, bar centers, or even accredited cybercafes. These access points could serve as walk-in support hubs for lawyers or litigants without personal internet or computer access.
- Rolling out a feedback mechanism to improve the platform over time. This could involve regular surveys of users and an open communication channel between the court registry and practitioners to report glitches, bugs, or suggestions for improvement.
A Global Trend—But a Local Reality
Around the world, courts are embracing digital tools. In Kenya, South Africa, and even parts of Ghana, e-courts are becoming the norm. But those systems are grounded in better infrastructure and more predictable utilities.
Nigeria must not lose sight of its own realities: a judiciary still burdened by low funding, poor staff welfare, and public distrust. Digitization should enhance access, not limit it.
As an Abuja-based lawyer aptly said, “We need smart justice, not just digital justice. A flashy portal means nothing if it doesn’t work for the average Nigerian.”
Final Thoughts: Progress with Empathy
The question is no longer whether e-filing is the future. It is. The real question is whether the path to that future must come at the cost of inclusion, empathy, and fairness.
As one retired judge remarked to me: “A justice system that forgets the poor is a system preparing for irrelevance. We need reform, yes. But we must not digitize people out of justice.”
The Federal High Court must recognize that progress without empathy can become exclusion. With the right balance, Nigeria can indeed lead the continent in judicial digitization. But to do that, we must listen, learn, and lead thoughtfully.
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