The Supreme Court has directed lawyers 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), as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen digital case management and improve the administration of justice.

The directive was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir E. Akanbi, who said the instruction is in line with Rule 10(1) of the Supreme Court Practice Direction, 2026.

According to the statement, all counsel involved in matters fixed for hearing within the specified period are expected to review the official hearing schedule and ensure that every relevant document relating to their cases is uploaded to the electronic platform ahead of the hearing dates.

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The apex court advised legal practitioners to access the list of scheduled appeals and motions by visiting the Supreme Court’s official website, navigating to the Litigation section, and selecting the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS), where the hearing schedule has been made available for download.

The court further instructed lawyers to upload all previously filed processes in their respective cases, including Records of Appeal, Briefs of Argument, pending motions and any other relevant documents, at least 30 days before the scheduled hearing date.

According to the Supreme Court, the measure is aimed at ensuring strict compliance with the provisions of the Supreme Court Practice Direction, 2026, while enhancing the effective operation of the Nigerian Case Management System.

The court noted that the digital filing process is expected to facilitate quicker access to court records, improve case management and support the speedy and efficient determination of matters before the apex court.

It urged all legal practitioners with cases listed between September and December to comply fully with the directive to avoid any disruption to proceedings.

The latest directive follows the judiciary’s broader transition to electronic case administration, which officially commenced with the introduction of the Nigerian Case Management System at the Supreme Court.

At the launch of the platform in Abuja, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, described the initiative as a landmark reform designed to modernise Nigeria’s judicial system and improve the delivery of justice.

The CJN announced that electronic filing of cases would immediately replace the manual filing process at the Supreme Court, marking a significant shift toward technology-driven judicial administration.

The adoption of the NCMS is expected to reduce paperwork, streamline court processes, improve transparency and enhance access to justice by enabling lawyers to manage case filings electronically.

With the latest directive, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed its commitment to fully implementing digital case management as part of ongoing judicial reforms aimed at making court proceedings more efficient and responsive to the needs of litigants and legal practitioners.