The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, has signed Practice Direction No.2, 2021. These Practice Directions Exempts the Payment of Default Fees for Filing of Processes during the JUSUN strike from April 6 2021 to June 14, 2021
According to a Press release on Friday, June 11, 2021 signed by the Chief Information Officer Federal High Court of Nigeria Catherine Oby Nwandu, she said that the exemption is expected to apply where a party is expected by the Rules or Court to file some processes and same is not filed within the prescribed time, the Rules prescribe some penalties payable and calculated on a day by day basis. Such penalties are what is expected to be waived.
Details of the Practice Direction are stated below:
Following the resumption of work after the strike action by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) from 6th day of April, 2021 to 14th day of June 2021 which affected court proceedings and filling of processes, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Honorable Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, announces to Hon. Judges, stakeholders and the general public, the essential need for a new Practice Direction on EXEMPTION OF PAYMENT OF DEFAULT FEES FOR FILING OF PROCESSES computation of time for the payment of default fees for extension of time for filing processes in the Federal High Court of Nigeria for the above period.
Pursuant to the powers conferred on him, he thereby issues the following Practice Directions:
1. COMPUTATION: of Time for filing of court processes and payment of default fees for extension of time; Notwithstanding the provisions of Order 48 Rule 4 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019 on computation of time for filling of court proceedings or doing an act as provided by the Rules and payment of default fees for extension of time thereof, the period covering the JUSUN strike action, being from 6th day of April, 2021 to 14th day of June, 2021, is hereby exempted.
2. APPLICABILITY: These practice Directions shall, save to the extent or as may be otherwise directed by the Chief Judge, apply to both criminal and civil causes and matters in the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
3. CITATION: These Practice Directions shall be cited as the Federal High Court (Exemption of Payment of Default Fees for Filing of Processes) Practice Directions (No. 2) 2021.
The Practice Directions take effect from Tuesday, the 15th day of June, 2021.
