Supreme Court Directs Lawyers to Upload Case Documents Before September Sittings

The Supreme Court has directed 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), in line with the provisions of the Supreme Court Practice Direction, 2026.

The directive, issued by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir E. Akanbi, forms part of efforts by the apex court to strengthen digital case management and improve the speed and efficiency of judicial proceedings.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Chief Registrar urged lawyers to review the list of appeals and motions already scheduled for hearing during the period and ensure full compliance with the court's electronic filing requirements.

According to the statement, counsel can access the hearing schedule by visiting the Supreme Court's official website, navigating to the Litigation section and selecting the Nigerian Case Management System (NCMS), where the list of appeals and motions fixed for hearing has been uploaded for download.

The court said legal practitioners are expected to upload all processes already filed in their respective matters, including Records of Appeal, Briefs of Argument, pending motions and every other relevant court document.

The documents must be uploaded no later than 30 days before the scheduled hearing date, as required under Rule 10(1) of the Supreme Court Practice Direction, 2026.

The Supreme Court explained that the directive is intended to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Practice Direction while enhancing the effective operation of the Nigerian Case Management System.

It noted that the digital filing process is expected to improve case management, streamline judicial processes and facilitate the timely determination of appeals and motions before the court.

The apex court therefore urged all counsel with matters listed for hearing between September and December 2026 to comply fully with the directive, stressing that adherence to the electronic filing requirements would support the efficient administration of justice.