The Nigerian Law Society (NLS) has officially contested the recent directive from Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, which mandates the replacement of the prefix ‘Barrister’ with the suffix ‘Esquire’ for legal professionals. This instruction, conveyed via a July 13, 2026 memo signed by Chief Registrar Kabir Akanbi, aims to standardize professional nomenclature at the Supreme Court.
Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, the Executive Director of the NLS, argued that this mandate lacks a foundation in the Legal Practitioners Act of 1962. He emphasized that the Act recognizes both ‘Barrister’ and ‘Solicitor’ as the legitimate titles for those admitted to the Bar. Jaja noted that while the CJN seeks to move away from ‘Barrister’, neither the ‘Esquire’ designation nor other common alternatives are codified within the existing legislation governing legal practice.
The NLS further criticized the Chief Justice and the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) for what they describe as institutional hypocrisy. Specifically, Jaja pointed to the resistance against the ‘Blue Silks’ rank of Senior Counsel of Nigeria (SCN). The NLS contends that if the CJN can introduce titles like ‘Esquire’ without statutory backing, it is contradictory to reject the ‘Blue Silks’ rank on the basis that it is not explicitly mentioned in the 1962 Act.
Jaja also highlighted that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title, which evolved from the British King’s Counsel, was never formally created through specific legislation. Consequently, the NLS maintains that the ‘Blue Silks’ rank, established via constitutional guidelines, remains valid, and they claim the CJN’s selective enforcement of titles amounts to discriminatory practice violating the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.
