THE Federal High Court of Nigeria has launched an automated system of filing cases by litigants and lawyers as part of measures to reduce the rigours being encountered in the old system of filing of cases at the court.
The e-filing system launched by the Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta, at the Court headquarters in Abuja will be adopted by all divisions of the Federal High Court in the country.
Speaking at the launching and demonstration of the system, the Chief Judge said that the new system was adopted in line with the best global practices for the judiciary.
Justice Auta, who spoke through the Chief Registrar of the court, Mr Emmanuel Gokko, said that the e-filing system was adopted during the several visits of the court management to developed countries where the system has been in practice.
He said, although the system was at the pilot stage, the undue delay, which usually characterised the old and analogue system had been removed.
The Chief Judge who expressed delight with the taken-off of the new system, thanked legal practitioners and litigants for their understanding and tolerance during the use of the analogue system of filing before the court.
Justice Auta announced that the court will initially bear the cost of scanning all documents billed to be filed by lawyers and litigants adding that the staff in charge of the new system have been exposed to adequate training in other to make the system work unhindered.
Besides, Justice Auta told the lawyers that alternative source of power had been put in place to take care of power failure.
“With this new e-filing system coupled with the treasury single account recently introduced by the Federal Government, those wishing to file cases at the Federal High Court can make payment for doing so in any part of the country.
“I wish to use this opportunity to inform our legal practitioners that they will enjoy maximum cooperation from this court and we will do everything possible to avoid difficulties in this new e-filing system of filing cases,” he said.
The Chief Judge thanked Mr Niyi Olaniyan of Nitoks Company for the positive contributions towards the effective and hitch-free take off of the system.
Meanwhile, the court is expected to begin its yearly vacation from July 11, 2016 and will last till September, this year, after which the Judges of the court will also hold a one-week conference.
