Supreme Court E-Filing Practice Directions, 2026

Key Provisions

The new Practice Directions, 2026, introduce new obligations that every litigant and/or legal practitioner with a pending appeal, or intending to commence an appeal before the Supreme Court, ought to be familiar with and ensure compliance with:

Scope of Application Use of Legal Email The new Practice Directions 2026 apply to Parties/Counsel seeking to access the both appeals currently pending before the Nigeria Case Management System (NCMS) Supreme Court and appeals initiated after can only do so using the legal mail system or any other electronic mail system as may be the commencement of the Practice designated by the Chief Registrar of the Directions.2 Supreme Court from time to time.3

Mandatory Submission of E-Copies Declaration of Authenticity of Records & Processes Each party/ Counsel making a submission The Practice Directions mandate every of electronic copies of Records/processes party (or their Counsel) to submit on the NCMS portal is required to make a electronic copies of Records of Appeal solemn declaration on oath in the manner and processes filed in any appeal, which provided on the portal, affirming that the documents shall be saved in compliance electronic copies represent a true and with the proper naming format provided in complete version of the documents filed the schedule to the Practice Direction5: in Court.7

 Each party in a pending appeal shall submit electronic copies of records Timeline and processes filed and the processes The Practice Directions prescribe a served on it by the other party/ parties timeline of thirty (30) days before the in the appeal on the NCMS portal. hearing in pending matters, for the submission of electronic copies of  Each party in any appeal commenced documents, and the hard copies to be after the Practice Directions is to submitted to the registry within seven (7) submit on the NCMS portal electronic days or 48 hours before the hearing, copies of processes filed.6 whichever is earlier8.

Effect of Noncompliance Failing to comply with the mandatory submission requirements carries the consequence of the appeal not being scheduled for hearing unless the processes are filed in accordance with the Practice Directions.9

Date of Transmission Fee for Transmission of Record: Under the new Practice Directions, the The Practice Direction imposes a fee of Record of Appeal is deemed to have been ₦500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) transmitted on the day an electronic copy of alongside any other amount as may be the Record is uploaded to the NCMS platform assessed by the Registrar of the lower and not the day it was submitted to the court, as the fee for the transmission of registry.10 records. Furthermore, any party who seeks to transmit or upload any additional Record of Appeal shall pay a fee of Exemption for Indigent Parties: ₦250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Parties who have been granted leave as Thousand Naira).11 an indigent party under Order5Rule3of theSupremeCourtRules2024shall not be Default Fees required to pay the transmission fees or The Practice Directions provide for give security for costs.12 additional default fees of N10,000 (Ten Thousand Naira) for each day of failure to file any processes within the prescribed period under the Practice Directions.13

Transmission of Record Additional Record of Appeal 250,000 500,000 ₦ ₦

Default Fees Indigent Parties

10,000 Exempt ₦ /day

Compliance Timeline · At a Glance

30 7 48 h

Days before hearing Days before hearing Before hearing Submit e-copies to NCMS portal Hard copies to registry Whichever is earlier

Implication

Beyond the introduction of an additional transmission fee and the need for counsel to familiarise themselves with the e-filing platform, the Practice Directions introduce an additional procedural requirement in the appellate process by mandating the electronic transmission and uploading of the Record of Appeal before its physical transmission to the Supreme Court. Although the prescribed timelines for compiling and transmitting the Record of Appeal remain unchanged, counsel should factor this additional requirement into their case management to ensure timely compliance. Accordingly, parties who wish to appeal should take prompt steps upon delivery of judgment to initiate the compilation and transmission of the Record of Appeal, thereby minimising the risk of delay and ensuring compliance with the Practice Directions.

“ The introduction of the Supreme Court's electronic filing system represents a significant step towards the effective integration of technology into the administration of justice at the Apex court.”

Conclusion

By digitising the filing and case management processes for appellate proceedings, the Practice Directions are expected to enhance efficiency, streamline case management, significantly reduce the administrative burden associated with manual filing, and improve access to justice. While the transition will require legal practitioners to adapt to new digital processes, the long-term benefits of a more efficient, transparent, and technology-driven appellate system are likely to outweigh any initial implementation challenges.

Efficiency Streamlined Integrity & Access to Case Mgmt Transparency Justice

Endnotes

1. Ameh Ochojila, “Supreme Court launches digital case system, makes e-filing mandatory” (Guardian, July 1, 2026) < https://guardian.ng/news/supreme-court-launches-digital-case-system-makes-e-filing-mandatory > accessed July 3, 2026 2. Supreme Court (Mandatory Upload of Electronic Copies of Processes, Record of Appeal, and Other Matters) Practice Directions, 2026, paragraph 2. 3. Ibid, paragraph 3. 4. Ibid, paragraph 5 5. Ibid, paragraph 7, and First Schedule 6. Ibid, paragraph 4. 7. Ibid, paragraph 9. 8. Ibid, paragraph 10. 9. Ibid, paragraph 11. 10. Ibid, paragraph 14. 11. Ibid, paragraph 15. 12. Ibid, paragraph 17. Under the Supreme Court Rules 2024, Indigent Parties are defined as “a party who is unable to bear the costs of an appeal to apply for leave to prosecute or defend the appeal”. See Order 5 Rule 3 13. Ibid, paragraph 18.