The Federal High Court has introduced significant revisions to its 2026 Pre-Election Practice Directions, bringing in new procedures aimed at improving the handling of election-related cases before the 2027 general elections.
Under the updated guidelines, judges are now permitted to conduct proceedings through virtual platforms, while the Chief Judge has been granted wider authority to reassign pre-election matters between judicial divisions where necessary. The new rules also provide for court registries to remain operational during weekends and public holidays to receive and process election petitions and other time-sensitive filings.
The revised Practice Directions, approved by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, became effective on July 14, replacing portions of the earlier guidelines that came into force on June 26.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the court’s Director of Information, Dr. Catherine Christopher, explained that the amendments were introduced under the powers conferred by the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Electoral Act 2026, and other relevant legal provisions.
According to her, the objective of the changes is to ensure that pre-election disputes are resolved more quickly, fairly and efficiently while complying with constitutional deadlines and existing electoral laws.
Unlike the previous Practice Directions, which largely concentrated on strict timelines for hearing election-related cases and reducing unnecessary delays, the updated framework expands the court’s administrative authority and embraces digital technology to improve judicial efficiency.
One of the key innovations is the formal approval of virtual hearings, allowing judges to hear pre-election matters electronically where appropriate. The court believes this will help speed up proceedings and improve access to justice without compromising fairness.
The amended rules also empower the Chief Judge to deploy judges to any division of the Federal High Court for the purpose of handling election-related cases. In addition, pre-election matters may now be transferred from one judicial division to another whenever the need arises to ensure timely determination.
Electronic communication has also been strengthened under the revised guidelines. Lawyers can now receive notifications relating to urgent hearings, case schedules and other court activities through email and other digital platforms, provided such notices are issued at least 48 hours before the scheduled proceedings.
While the earlier rule limiting each party to a maximum of two adjournments remains in place, the new Practice Directions introduce stricter controls by prohibiting applications for adjournment on the actual day fixed for hearing. Parties who decide to change their legal representatives during the course of proceedings will also remain subject to the same two-adjournment limit.
The revised framework further maintains the constitutional provision requiring courts to determine preliminary objections and jurisdictional issues together with the substantive suit during final judgment rather than hearing them separately.
To discourage unnecessary delays, judges are now authorised to impose financial penalties on litigants or legal practitioners who file interlocutory applications solely to frustrate or prolong proceedings.
In addition, parties making allegations involving fraud, forgery or other disputed facts must now file written witness depositions alongside their affidavits. Such witnesses may also be required to appear before the court for cross-examination where necessary.
The updated Practice Directions retain existing filing timelines, requiring respondents to enter an appearance within seven days and submit their defence within 10 days, while applicants have three days to file their responses.
The rules also preserve page limits for written legal arguments, restricting written addresses accompanying originating summons to 15 pages and limiting submissions supporting preliminary objections to a maximum of 10 pages.
The Federal High Court had initially introduced the Pre-Election Practice Directions in June to ensure faster resolution of election-related disputes. The latest amendments are expected to further strengthen the court’s ability to handle pre-election litigation efficiently ahead of the 2027 electoral process.
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