Supreme Court Mandates Digital Filing for Lawyers Ahead of 2026 Sittings

Nigeria's Supreme Court has issued a directive, requiring legal practitioners managing appeals and motions scheduled for proceedings from September to December 2026, to submit all pertinent judicial records via the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS). This mandate aligns with Rule 10(1) of the Supreme Court Practice Direction, 2026.

This instruction was conveyed in a formal statement released by the Supreme Court's Chief Registrar, Kabir E. Akanbi. He strongly advised all legal counsel to thoroughly examine the roster of cases designated for hearing within the specified timeframe. To access this comprehensive list, lawyers are directed to visit the official Supreme Court website. From there, they should navigate to the Litigation section and then select the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS) portal, where the full hearing schedule for appeals and motions is readily available for download.

The nation's highest court clarified that legal professionals must upload all previously submitted processes for their respective cases. These include Records of Appeal, Briefs of Argument, any outstanding motions, and other crucial court documentation. The deadline for this upload is strictly 30 days prior to the assigned hearing date.

The court further elaborated that this measure serves multiple objectives: to guarantee adherence to the stipulations of the Supreme Court Practice Direction, to improve the functional efficiency of the NCMS, and ultimately, to facilitate the swift and effective resolution of matters awaiting judgment before the bench. Finally, the Supreme Court unequivocally urged all legal representatives with cases scheduled during this period to rigorously comply with this new directive.