Muinat Folasade Oyekan                     – DCR

The litigation Department of the FCT High Court is comprised of Seven (7) Units and their functions, namely:

PROCESS UNIT, GROUND FLOOR, MAITAMA- The process unit is the main registry where all cases are first presented for filing. The unit deals with-

  • Assessment of payment to be made on court processes.
  • Issuing of motion, suit, charge, and petition numbers.
  • Registration of a foreign Judgment.
  • Filing of Judicial research forms.
  • Registration of cases filed, opening, and coupling of case files.
  • Transmission of casefiles to the litigation registry.

LITIGATION REGISTRY, 1ST FLOOR, MAITAMA- Litigation registry is tasked with the following duties-

  • Receiving and registering case files from process unit after filing.
  • Taking of case files to the Director Litigation for Minute to the Chief Judge.
  • Receive case files from the Chief Judge`s office after assignment and register the Court to which the case is assigned.
  • Arrangement of the case files to various courts for dispatch.
  • Dispatch of the case files to the assigned Court in various divisions.
  • Collection and keeping of the endorsement copies/proof of collection for easy identification of the staff who collected the case files at the assigned Court.
  • Receiving and registering letters minuted to the Director Litigation from the Chief Registrar`s office.
  • Receiving Fast Track cases directly from the Chief Judge’s office for record purposes.
  • Preparation of search papers for lawyers coming to check where their cases were assigned and for the Judicial Research Center.
  • Receiving of files during Vacation from the presiding vacation Judge and dispatching to various vacation Judges.
  • Collection and transmission of Exhibits to the Exhibit Unit.

LEGAL UNIT, JABI – The Legal Unit carries out the following duties;

  • Provision of Legal representation in all civil and criminal matters where the High Court of the FCT, Chief Registrar, Probate Registrar, Deputy Sheriff Magistrates (Judicial Reviews), and other staff are sued in their official capacity.
  • Filing of Court actions when the interest of the FCT High Court is concerned.
  • Issuing legal advice on documents that affect the FCT High Court.

APPEAL UNIT, APO- The unit is saddled with the following responsibilities;

  • Coordination of all Appeals from the Magistrate Court, District Courts and Area Courts in the Federal Capital Territory.
  • Compilation and Transmission of Records of Appeals from the decisions of the High Courts of the Federal Capital Territory to the Court of Appeal in cases where the Litigants file for appeal to the Court of Appeal.
  • Transmission of Exhibits from the High Court to the Court of Appeal.
  • Filling and keeping registers of Notices of Appeal from Magistrate, District, Area Court, and High Courts of the Federal Capital Territory.
  • Maintaining a workable/functional archive where disposed cases are domiciled.

These are in addition to other administrative and ancillary duties. For administrative convenience, the unit is divided into two sections – the Magistrate section and the High Court section.

WITNESS SUPPORT UNIT, GROUND FLOOR, MAITAMA- The witness support Unit (WSU) was established by PRAWA with the support of the J4A Initiative. The main function of the Witness Support Unit includes-

  • Provision of interpretation for courts in different languages.
  • Witness handling and logistics on needs assessment.
  • Liaising with the court and other relevant agencies with respect to witness tracking.
  • Counseling and referrals, pre-trial visits, and accompanying witnesses to court for safety.

The unit currently has interpreters in the following languages: Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fulfulde, Nupe, Arabic, Uroboh, Ebira, French, Igala and Chibok.

FAST TRACK UNIT, 4TH FLOOR, MAITAMA- The Fast Track Procedure, established under Order 41 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2025, Rule 2 specifies the jurisdiction of fast track cases to causes & actions which include: –

  • Banker/customer transactions;
  • Commercial transactions

Where the substantive monetary claim under a & b above is not less than One hundred million naira (N100,000,00).

This specialized procedure allows such cases to bypass the conventional, often lengthy, litigation process, ensuring they are handled with greater urgency and efficiency. By significantly reducing delays, the Fast Track Procedure enables parties to achieve a faster resolution, promoting judicial efficiency and reducing the overall burden on the court system, while maintaining fairness and integrity throughout the legal process.

To ensure the swift and effective realization of the goals of the Fast Track System, the Chief Judge has appointed Fifteen (15) Judges, specifically designated as Fast Track Judges. These distinguished judges are entrusted with the responsibility of prioritizing and adjudicating Fast Track cases with precision and expedience, reinforcing the court’s commitment to delivering timely justice and reducing procedural delays. This strategic designation underscores the judiciary’s dedication to enhancing efficiency while upholding the highest standards of legal integrity.

The Fast Track Division office is located on the fourth floor of the High Court of The Federal Capital Territory, Maitama – Abuja.

CENTRAL EXHIBIT UNIT, GROUND FLOOR, MAITAMA- This is a new unit that came into existence on the 10th of July,2024, and formally commenced operation on the 8th of September,2024. The creation of this unit became necessary to harmonize and gather in a safe place, all exhibits of Judges who have been elevated, retired, resigned or are dead.

The Unit is saddled with the following responsibilities:

  • The unit receives and ensures the safekeeping of exhibits from the courts that are no longer in existence by virtue of the elevation of the Judge to a higher court, retirement or death of the Judge, and other conditions that lead to the termination of a Court.
  • Carrying out the cataloging of exhibits through proper inventory and documentation.
  • The unit is also responsible for the release of exhibits to counsels or litigants in a case in appropriate circumstances and upon an application to the Chief Registrar for approval.