The Honourable the Chief Judge of Lagos State Judiciary, Justice Kazeem Alogba has granted permission to all heads of the litigation department, of the state’s Magistrate Courts to reuse the receipt meant all writs that were expected to have been served on parties to the various actions before the court during the lockdown period and thereafter but were prevented from doing so due to the Corona Virus Pandemic and restriction on movement.

However, the receipt to be reused must be used for the writ for which it was intended and not another writ.

The statement which was signed by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court, Omolade Awope (Mrs.), is dated October 9, 2020 and titled “RE: Magistrate Courts—Expired Writs—Reuse of initial filing Receipt”.

By this directive, it means that all those who paid for writs (in the Magistrate Court) but those writs have outlived their span and wasn’t served on opposing counsel, due to the pandemic can now be reused again, thereby avoiding unnecessary and double expenses by litigants.

TheNigerialawyer recalls that the outbreak of the dreaded Corona Virus led to the lull of activities worldwide, of which the courts were not spared, especially the restriction on movement and public gathering as a means to avoid the transmission of the virus.

Recall also that in the wake of the pandemic outbreak, The Honourable, The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Mohammed, had issued a circular on how the Judiciary is expected to operate during the lockdown, in compliance with the lockdown and restriction on movement.

The circular which was a product of a collective understanding by the committee set up for that purpose and made up of some respected members of the legal profession. A similar circular was also issued and approved for the Lagos State Judiciary.