The Federal High Court will now open its registries on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. But only for pre-election matters and only between the hours of 10am and 2pm.
The Chief Registrar, Yahaya Yakubu Shafa, in a statement on Thursday said the new arrangement is to help lawyers meet tight filing deadlines.Pre-election cases have strict time limits under the Electoral Act. Miss them by a day and your case dies.
Legal practitioners have in previous election cycles complained about the inability to file pre-election matters on weekends or public holidays when courts are ordinarily closed, sometimes leading to applications being filed late and subsequently struck out.
The latest directive by the Chief Registrar appears aimed at addressing that challenge, ensuring that litigants and their counsel are not disadvantaged by the court’s own operating schedule.
“Registries in all Divisions of the Federal High Court would be open between 10:00am and 2:00pm Weekends and Public Holidays for Filing of Pre-Election Matters Only,” the notice reads.
“This has become expedient to meet up with the limited time frame.”The directive takes effect immediately. Regular court business remains restricted to weekdays.
