Modernising Civil Procedure - The 2025 FCT High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules and its Departure from the 2018 Framework

 The rules governing civil procedure play a critical role in ensuring that the legal system operates effectively and efficiently. The 2018 High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules introduced some remarkable innovations into the civil litigation landscape. However, as with most systems of law, there is always room for further innovations and improvements. The 2025 High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules of the Federal Capital Territory, set to become operational in March 2025, while retaining most of the provisions and practices under the 2018 Rules, have introduced some innovations and modifications, apparently, aimed at achieving a better degree of conformity with contemporary practices, while also seeking to address some substantive and procedural issues which may have existed in civil proceedings/trials in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. This article identifies twenty-one (21) areas where the 2025 High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules of the Federal Capital Territory Rules modify the 2018 Rules.