Terms and Conditions

Introduction

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Bauchi State Judiciary Electronic Court System ("E-Court Platform"), operated by the Bauchi State Judiciary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. By accessing, registering on, or using any part of this platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be legally bound by these Terms. If you do not agree with any provision herein, you must immediately cease use of the platform.

The E-Court Platform is designed to provide accessible, transparent, and efficient judicial services to the people of Bauchi State, in furtherance of the Judiciary's mandate to administer justice.

Definitions

• "E-Court Platform" refers to the Bauchi State Judiciary Electronic Court System, accessible via web and any associated mobile applications, including all pages, services, features, and functionalities provided therein.
• "User" refers to any individual, legal practitioner, law firm, corporate body, government agency, or other entity that accesses or uses the E-Court Platform in any capacity.
• "Judiciary" or "We" refers to the Bauchi State Judiciary, including its courts (High Court, Magistrate Court, Sharia Court, Customary Court, Court of Appeal), judicial officers, commissioners of oath, and authorised administrative personnel.
• "Services" refers to all court-related services offered through the platform, including but not limited to affidavit processing, probate applications, document verification, court fee payments, and access to legal knowledge resources.
• "Account" refers to the registered user profile created upon completing the registration process on the platform.

Eligibility and Account Registration

To register for and use the E-Court Platform, you must satisfy all of the following conditions:

• You must be at least eighteen (18) years of age, or otherwise possess the legal capacity to enter into binding agreements under Nigerian law.
• You must provide truthful, accurate, current, and complete information during the registration process, including your full legal name, valid email address, and contact telephone number.
• You must maintain the confidentiality and security of your login credentials (email and password). You shall not share your account access with any third party.
• You must promptly notify the Judiciary of any suspected unauthorised access to or use of your account.

You are solely and entirely responsible for all activities conducted under your account. The Judiciary shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to safeguard your account credentials.

Services Provided

The E-Court Platform provides the following services to registered users:

• Affidavit Processing: Online preparation, submission, payment, and commissioning of affidavits across various categories (statutory declarations, name declarations, age declarations, loss of document, change of name, and other affidavit types as prescribed by law).
• Probate & Letters of Administration: Online application for grants of probate and letters of administration, including submission of required documentation and payment of prescribed fees.
• Document Verification: Verification of the authenticity of affidavits and other court documents using unique reference numbers and QR codes assigned to each processed document.
• Court Fee Payments: Electronic payment of court fees including filing fees, certification fees, search fees, and other fees as prescribed in the applicable court fee schedule.
• Knowledge Base: Access to educational resources about court processes, legal procedures, and frequently asked questions to guide users through the judicial system.

Payment Terms

All fees charged through the E-Court Platform are as prescribed and gazetted by the Bauchi State Judiciary and are subject to periodic review. The following terms apply to all payments:

• Payments are processed exclusively through approved and secure payment gateways (Paystack, Remita, and Bank Transfer) as integrated into the platform.
• All payments are final and non-refundable once processed, unless the Judiciary determines otherwise in its sole discretion due to system error or exceptional circumstances.
• Electronic receipts generated through the platform carry the same legal validity as receipts issued at the physical court registry.
• The platform may charge service/transaction fees in addition to the prescribed court fees. Such fees shall be clearly displayed before payment confirmation.
• Value Added Tax (VAT) shall be applied where applicable in accordance with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) guidelines.

Document Authenticity and Legal Validity

Documents processed and issued through the E-Court Platform are official documents of the Bauchi State Judiciary and carry full legal force and effect. Each document is assigned a unique reference number and may bear a QR code for independent verification.

Any person who tampers with, forges, alters, falsifies, or misrepresents any document obtained through this platform commits a criminal offence under the Penal Code, the Forgery Act, and other applicable laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and shall be liable to prosecution and punishment as prescribed by law.

User Obligations and Prohibited Conduct

By using the E-Court Platform, you agree to the following obligations and restrictions:

• You shall provide truthful, accurate, and complete information in all forms, applications, and submissions made through the platform.
• You shall not use the platform to process fraudulent, misleading, or unlawful documents.
• You shall not attempt to gain unauthorised access to any restricted areas of the platform, its servers, databases, or connected systems.
• You shall not use automated tools (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access or extract data from the platform without prior written authorisation.
• You shall not upload malicious code, viruses, or any software intended to interfere with or damage the platform.
• You shall not impersonate any person or entity, or falsely represent your affiliation with any person or entity.
• You shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, specifically, the laws of Bauchi State.

Violation of any of these obligations may result in immediate suspension or termination of your account, and may be reported to law enforcement authorities for further action.

Intellectual Property Rights

All content, design elements, logos, trademarks, software, graphics, text, and other materials on the E-Court Platform are the exclusive property of the Bauchi State Judiciary or its licensors, and are protected by Nigerian copyright and intellectual property laws.

No portion of this platform may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, distributed, or modified in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Bauchi State Judiciary. Unauthorised use of any materials on this platform may give rise to a claim for damages and/or constitute a criminal offence.

Disclaimer of Warranties

The E-Court Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. While the Judiciary endeavours to ensure the platform operates reliably, we do not warrant that:

• The platform will be available at all times without interruption or delay.
• The platform will be free from errors, defects, viruses, or other harmful components.
• The results obtained from using the platform will be accurate or reliable in all circumstances.

The Judiciary reserves the right to suspend or discontinue any part of the platform at any time for maintenance, upgrades, or other operational reasons, without prior notice.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Bauchi State Judiciary, its officers, employees, agents, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or in connection with your use of or inability to use the E-Court Platform, including but not limited to:

• Loss of data, revenue, profits, or business opportunities.
• Unauthorised access to or alteration of your data or transmissions.
• Any interruption or cessation of service.
• Any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in the content on the platform.

Amendments to Terms

The Bauchi State Judiciary reserves the right to amend, modify, update, or replace these Terms at any time and at its sole discretion. Any changes shall take effect immediately upon being posted on this page. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the date of the most recent revision.

Your continued use of the E-Court Platform after any such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. You are advised to review these Terms periodically to stay informed of any updates.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the applicable laws of Bauchi State. Any dispute arising from or in connection with these Terms or the use of the E-Court Platform shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Bauchi State, Nigeria.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable while preserving its original intent.

Contact Information

For any questions, concerns, or requests regarding these Terms and Conditions, or any aspect of the E-Court Platform, please contact:

Bauchi State Judiciary
High Court Complex, Bauchi
Bauchi State, Nigeria
Email: info@justice.bu.gov.ng