The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a directive to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to register a new association for lawyers in Nigeria.
This follows a legal action taken by a group of lawyers against the CAC for its failure to register their association as a recognized legal practitioner body in the country.
The plaintiffs in the case, namely Bolaji Ayorinde, Mela Nunge, Garba Gajam, Emeka Ichoku, Chioma Ferguson, and Tejumola Adigun, had challenged the CAC’s refusal to register their association. They argued that the names under consideration for registration were not distinct enough from that of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), potentially causing confusion among the public.
In a judgment delivered on December 15, 2023, Justice Gladys Olotu ordered the CAC to approve any of the proposed names submitted by the plaintiffs. The approved names include “Nigerian Law Society,” “Nigerian Bar Society,” “Nigerian Lawyers’ Society,” and “Association of Legal Practitioners of Nigeria.”
The judge emphasized that the right to peaceful assembly and association, as guaranteed under Section 40 of the Constitution, Article 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), and Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), covers the type of association the plaintiffs intend to register.
The Nigerian Bar Association, established in 1933, has traditionally been the sole professional body for legal practitioners in the country. However, various attempts by different groups to secure registration as a lawyers’ association have occurred over the years.
Efforts to obtain a response from the NBA spokesperson, Akorede Lawal, were unsuccessful at the time of this report. Calls to his phone indicated it was unreachable, and he had not responded to a message sent to him.
