ABUJA — In a move aimed at accelerating the administration of justice and deepening the judiciary’s transition to digital case management, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has directed all legal practitioners handling appeals and motions scheduled for hearing between September and December 2026 to upload all relevant court documents through the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS).
The directive, issued by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir E. Akanbi, requires counsel to electronically upload every filed process connected with their matters at least 30 days before the scheduled hearing date, in line with Rule 10(1) of the Supreme Court Practice Direction, 2026.
The order affects all appeals and motions already fixed for hearing within the four-month period and signals the apex court’s determination to fully implement its electronic case management framework as part of broader judicial reforms.
Under the directive, counsel are expected to upload key documents, including the Record of Appeal, Briefs of Argument, pending motions, and every other filed process relating to their cases.
To determine whether their matters are affected, lawyers have been advised to visit the Supreme Court’s website, navigate to the Litigation section, access the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS), and download the list of appeals and motions scheduled for hearing between September and December 2026.
The Supreme Court stressed that strict compliance with the Practice Direction is essential for the effective operation of the electronic platform and the smooth management of proceedings before the nation’s highest court.
Legal observers say the directive represents another significant step in the judiciary’s ongoing effort to reduce delays associated with manual case administration, improve access to court records, and enhance the efficiency of appellate proceedings through technology.
By requiring parties to upload complete electronic records well before hearing dates, the Court is expected to minimise last-minute procedural setbacks, improve case preparedness, and enable Justices to access relevant documents more efficiently during the hearing process.
The Chief Registrar urged all counsel to comply fully with the directive, noting that adherence to the electronic filing requirements would facilitate the seamless operation of the Nigerian Case Management System and support the timely determination of appeals before the apex court.
The latest directive reinforces the Supreme Court’s push towards a technology-driven judicial system, with the NCMS increasingly becoming central to the filing, management and hearing of cases before the country’s highest court.
