Di Supreme Court don issue directive wey say make lawyers no use ‘Barrister’ as prefix for official correspondence again. This one don cause plenty argument among lawyers, law teachers and academics.
Di directive, wey come from di Chief Registrar on di instruction of di Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, na to standardise official communications for di apex court. But lawyers dey divided on weda e just dey regulate court practice or e dey interfere with a designation wey statute create.
For di core of di matter na di question of weda di memorandum just dey regulate di format of official documents before di Supreme Court, wey fall inside di Court’s administrative powers, or weda e dey limit di use of a statutory professional designation beyond di Court’s procedural jurisdiction.
Prof Osaretin George Izevbuwa, di Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of Igbinedion University, Okada, say di controversy first need make e distinguish from a judicial pronouncement wey deliver for a contested case. E argue say di first question be weda di prohibition na through an administrative directive of di Supreme Court or through a judgment wey come from a properly constituted legal dispute.
Izevbuwa note say Nigerian appellate courts don previously examine di status of di word ‘Barrister.’ E point to di decision for NBA v. Ofomata (2017) 5 NWLR (Pt. 1557) 128, where di court talk say ‘di appellation of Barrister as a title before di name of a legal practitioner na unprofessional and improper.’ But e observe say di Court of Appeal, for Ishaku & Anor v. Kantiok & Ors (2011) LPELR-8944(CA), take broader view by recognising say ‘Barrister’ na descriptive title wey dey identify a legal practitioner wey dem call to di Nigerian Bar, not part of di person’s name.
Di appellate court, e say, liken di use to professional prefixes like ‘Dr,’ ‘Justice’ and ‘Hon,’ and hold say di inclusion of di title no dey invalidate legal processes or affect di person’s legal identity.
Douglas Ogbankwa, one lawyer, argue say Sections 2 and 24 of di Legal Practitioners Act expressly recognise every person wey dem call to di Nigerian Bar as ‘Barrister and Solicitor of di Supreme Court.’ For im view, because dat status come from an Act of di National Assembly, e no fit be altered, limited or removed through a memorandum or court administrative directive. E contend say di Supreme Court Rules and internal memoranda dey exist to regulate court procedure, not to amend substantive rights wey legislation create.
Ogbankwa add say if di aim na uniformity for court filings, di restriction suppose be confined to practice before di Supreme Court through a formal practice direction, not to be interpreted as prohibition on using a statutory designation. E also warn say broader interpretation fit create uncertainty for lawyers wey don long incorporate di description ‘Barrister’ for dia professional identity.
But Bayo Akinlade, another lawyer, reject di suggestion say di Supreme Court don abolish or prohibit di statutory description. Im say many lawyers don misunderstand di memorandum. According to am, di Supreme Court no dey deny say lawyers be barristers; rather, e dey correct what e describe as di improper use of ‘Barrister’ as an honorific prefix for official documents.
Akinlade maintain say di lawyer’s proper identity na di name wey appear for di Roll of Legal Practitioners, and ‘Barrister’ dey describe professional qualification, not dey function as prefix like ‘Mr,’ ‘Mrs’ or ‘Dr.’ Under dis interpretation, e talk say lawyers remain ‘Barristers and Solicitors of di Supreme Court of Nigeria,’ but e no correct to write ‘Barrister John Doe’ for correspondence or court processes. Instead, di professional description suppose follow di name.
Supporting dat position, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Eyimofe Atake, argue say di memorandum don dey mischaracterised plenty. According to Atake, di directive na only for official correspondence, records and engagements wey involve di Supreme Court, and e no dey criminalise or prohibit social or informal usage. E argue say di Legal Practitioners Act create a professional status, not a title, and note say while lawyers dey enrolled as barristers and solicitors, di statute no where authorise ‘Barrister’ as prefix before person im name.
Atake further rely on Nigerian disciplinary authorities and comparative practice for jurisdictions like England and Wales, Canada and Australia, where professional descriptions ordinarily appear after, not before, lawyer im name. Whether sanctions against non-compliance by di Supreme Court go be enough to enforce restraint, e still remain to see.
