FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, FCT, HIGH COURT CIVIL PROCEDURE RULES, 2018

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RULES OF COURTS OF NIGERIA

HIGH COURT OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA CIVIL PROCEDURE RULES, 2018

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

ORDER 1: Application and Interpretation

1. (1) Application

(3)     Practice direction

(4)     Interpretation of Term

ORDER 2: Form and commencement of action

1.       Mode of commencing Proceedings

2. (1) Proceedings to commence by writ

(2)     Documents accompanying Writ

(2)(e)          Pre-action Counseling, civil form 6

(5)     Form of Writ, civil form 1, 33

(6)     Writ for Service out of Nigeria, civil form 2

3. (1) Proceedings that may be begun by originating summons

(2)     Construction of an enactment

(3)     Discretion of the Court

(4)     Forms of Originating Summons, civil form 3, 4, 5

(5)     Documents accompanying Originating Summons

(7)     Penalty for non-compliance

4.       Service outside Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

5.       Endorsement of date and time of filing

6.       Proceedings to be commenced by motion or petition

7.       Screening for ADR matters

8.       Certificate of pre action counselling, civil form 6

9.       Affixing of NBA seal by counsel on Court processes

ORDER 3: Place of Institution and Trial of Suits

1.       Suit relating to distrained or seized landed property

2.       Suit for recovery of penalties, forfeiture and against public officers

3.       Suit upon contract

4.       Other suits

5.       Electronic service

6.       Suits commenced in wrong division

ORDER 4: Endorsement of Claim and Address

1.       Summary of claim, particulars of parties

2.       Endorsement to show representative capacity

3.       Probate actions

4.       Endorsement for liquidated demand

5.       Endorsement for an account

6.       Endorsement of address by Claimants

8.       Consequence of non-disclosure and invalid address

9.       Status quo, civil forms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

ORDER 5: Effect of non-compliance

1.       Non- compliance with these rules

2.       Setting aside for irregularity

ORDER 6: Issue of originating process

1.       Originating process to be printed on A4 paper

2.       Sealing of originating process

3.       Procedure after sealing

4.       Copies to be served

5.       Affidavit accompanying probate action

6.       Renew of originating process, civil form 7

7.       Endorsement of renewal

8.       Loss of originating process

9.       Concurrent originating process and service

ORDER 7: Service of processes

1.       Persons to serve originating process

2.       How to effect service

3.       Service on legal practitioner

4.       Mode of service when not personal

5.       Person under legal disability

6.       Prisoner or detainee

7.       Partners

8.       Corporation or company

9.       Foreign Corporation or company

10.     Legal agent of principal who is out of jurisdiction

11. (1)Substituted service

(2)(e)          Substituted service by email

12.     Where violence is threatened

13.     Proof of service generally

14.     Expenses of service

15.     Time of service on certain days

16.     Service of Advance copies via e-mail

17.     Service of hearing notices via e-mail

18.     Recording of service

ORDER 8: Service Outside Nigeria and Service of Foreign Process

1.       Where service of process is allowed outside Nigeria

2.       Agreement as to service

3.       Service abroad by letter of request

Civil Form 8

Civil Form 9

Civil Form 10

4.       Where leave is not granted or not required, Civil Form 11

5.       Service of foreign process

6.       Inapplicability of Rule 4

7.       Service on behalf of foreign tribunals

8.       Substituted service of foreign process

ORDER 9: Appearance

1.       Mode of entering appearance and service

Civil Form 12

2.       Defendant appearing in person or represented by legal practitioner

3.       Fictitious address

4.       Defendants appearing through same legal practitioner

5.       Penalty for late appearance

6.       Intervener in probate matters

7.       Recovery of land

8.       Landlord appearance

9.       Appearance by person under legal disability

10.     Tenant

ORDER 10: Default of Appearance

1.       Default of appearance by person under legal disability

2.       Default of appearance

3.       Liquidated demand

4.       Liquidated demand several defendants

5.       Judgment in default of appearance

6.       Several defendants

7.       Detention of goods damages and liquidated demand

8.       Recovery of land

9.       Mesne profit

10.     Judgment for costs upon payments

11.     Setting aside judgment

12.     Default of appearance in actions not specifically provided for

13.     Compulsory service

ORDER 11: Summary Judgment

1.       Application for summary judgment

2.       Extra copy of process

3.       Service

4.       Where defendant intends to defend

5.       Defence

6.       Several defendants

7.       Oral submission

ORDER 12: Application for Account and Inquiries

1.       Application for account

2.       How application is made

3.       Order for an account

4.       Account to be made verified etc.

5.       Erroneous account

6.       Allowances

7.       Delay in prosecution of account etc.

8.       Distribution of fund before all entitled persons are ascertained

ORDER 13:

I.       Parties Generally

1.       Joint or several claims

2.       Action in the name of wrong Claimant

3.       Misjoinder and Counterclaimant

4.       Any person as a Defendant

5.       Action against a wrong Defendant

6.       Defendant need not be interested in all the reliefs

7.       Joinder of persons

8.       Doubt as to the person from whom relief is sought

9.       Persons unknown

10.     Substitution of name

11.     Person under disability

12.     Guardian

13.     Trustees, Executors and Administrators

14.     Numerous persons

15.     Representation of persons or classes

16.     Power to approve compromise

17.     Where there is no personal representative

18.     Proceedings not defeated by misjoinder or non-joinder

19.     Application to strike out

20.     Where defendant is added

21.     Third party may be joined by any of the parties

22.     Appearance by third party

23.     Default by third party

24.     Subsequent third party or party joined

II.     Actions against firms and persons carrying on business in names other than their own.

25.     Action by and against firms

26.     Disclosure of partners’ names

27.     Appearance of partners

28.     Application of rules to actions between co-partners

29.     Person trading as firm

III.    Change of parties by death or otherwise.

30.     Actions not abated where cause of action survives

31.     Order to carry on proceedings

32.     Assignment creation or devolution of estate or title

33.     Application to discharge order by persons under disability having a guardian

34.     Application by persons under disability having no guardian

IV.     Legal Practitioners or Agents

35.     Acts may be done by legal practitioner or agents

ORDER 14: Joinder of Causes of Action

1.       Causes of action may be joined

2.       Recovery of land

3.       Executor and administrator

4.       Claims by Claimants

ORDER 15: Pleadings

1.       Filing of pleadings

2.       Pleadings to state material facts and not evidence

3.       Particulars to be given when necessary

4.       Further and better statement of particulars

5.       Denial

6.       Conditions precedent

7.       Defence grounds to be specifically pleaded

8.       Pleadings to be consistent

9.       Joinder of issue

10.     Effect of documents to be stated

11.     Notice

12.     Implied contract or relation

13.     Presumption of law

14.     Stated or settled account

15.     Technical objection

16.     Striking out pleadings at Pre-trial conference

17.     Malice, knowledge or other conditions of mind

18.     Grounds for striking out pleadings

19.     Close of pleadings

ORDER 16: Statement of Claim

1.       Statement of Claim

2.       Claim beyond endorsement on writ

ORDER 17: Defence and Counterclaim

1.       Statement of Defence

2.       Evasive denial

3.       Denials generally

4.       Persons in representative capacity

5.       Pleading to damages

6.       Set off and counterclaim

7.       Title of counterclaim

8.       Claims against persons not party, civil form 13

9.       Appearance by added parties

10.     Reply to counterclaim

11.     Discontinuance of the claimant’s claim

12.     Judgment for balance

13.     Ground of defence after action filed

14.     Further defence or reply

15.     Concessions to defence

Civil Form 14

16.     Defence to originating summons

ORDER 18: Reply

1.       Reply to counterclaim

ORDER 19: Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution

A – Reference to ADR

1.       Judge to encourage ADR

2. (1) Consent cases to be referred to AMDC, civil form 15

(2)     Time within which to report settlement

3.       ADR directives and sanctions

4.       Cost

5.       Extension of time to report settlement

6.       Where settlement has broken down

7. (1) Consent Judgment

(2)     Walk in application for consent judgment

8.       Chief Judge to designate ADR Judges

9.       Settlement Week

10.     Sifter Committee to identify ADR cases

B – Arbitration

11. Arbitration

C – Arbitration Proceedings

12. Arbitration Proceedings

D – Enforcement of Arbitration Awards

13.     Enforcement of arbitral awards

E – Registration of Foreign Arbitration Awards

14.     Registration of Foreign Arbitration Award

ORDER 20: Admissions

1.       Notice of admission of facts

2.       Notice to admit documents

3.       Notice to admit facts

4.       Judgement or Order upon admission of facts

5.       Cost of notice where documents unnecessary

LAWS OF LAGOS STATE OF NIGERIA