A portal does not authorise itself. The Federal High Court's e-affidavit system runs on a specific legal instrument, and it is worth knowing what that document actually says.
The document that authorised the portal
The portal operates under the Federal High Court (Practice Direction on E-Affidavit), 2024. The Chief Judge signed it on 7 June 2024, and it took effect on 1 July 2024.
A practice direction like this sets out how a court will handle a procedure, filling in detail that a statute alone does not cover.
It adds to swearing in person, not replacing it
The practice direction describes e-affidavits as sitting alongside the option of swearing before a commissioner for oaths in person, not instead of it. Both routes exist under the same court.
That framing matters. It tells you the portal is an additional channel the court built, not a rule that closed off the older way of doing things.
Two valid routes now exist side by side under the same court, and the practice direction is the document that lets both stand at once.
Use is not limited to court cases
Order II, rule 1(b) of the practice direction does not restrict e-affidavits to litigation. That is the legal basis for using the portal for everyday personal affidavits, such as a change of name or a declaration of age, covered in our list of what the portal handles.
What it says about cost
The practice direction states that the cost of each affidavit is as approved by the Chief Judge. It does not fix one price for every affidavit type in the text itself.
That is why the portal shows a specific amount at payment rather than a single published fee. Our cost and payment guide covers what one real example looked like.
Why this document matters to an ordinary applicant
You do not need to read the practice direction yourself to use the portal. But knowing it exists explains why the system works the way it does: a defined legal basis, a scope wider than litigation, and a cost set centrally rather than fixed in the rule itself.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the portal replaces swearing in person entirely. The practice direction treats it as an addition, not a replacement.
- Assuming e-affidavits are only for court cases. The rule's own wording allows wider use.
- Expecting the practice direction to name a fixed fee. It leaves the amount to the Chief Judge's approval instead.
Our courts and affidavits hub links the rest of this series, and where and how affidavits work covers the wider picture. A vetted partner firm can prepare and file an affidavit of loss once you know the portal your affidavit needs.