- Okutepa says there should be no authoritarian audacity of arrogance that no lawyer has right to belong or form another lawyers association
Although the nod given by the Federal High Court for the Nigerian Law Society, (NLS) a new association for Nigerian lawyers to be registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is generating a lot of controversy, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa has said he stands for a united bar but “let us not be told in the most authoritarian audacity of arrogance that no lawyer has the right to belong or form another lawyers association.”
Stating his position in a WhatsApp chat, Okutupea said: “I am for one UNITED Bar Association NBA. But let us not be told in the most authoritarian audacity of arrogance that no lawyer has the right to belong or form another lawyers association. No gain splitting ourselves.
“Let us do all to remain one. But let nobody berate or insult the sensibility of our understanding by making outlandish statements that seem to suggest that we are under military dictatorship. Let NBA fight for the interest of lawyers and not sound patronizing of the systems it was created to fight.”
The Federal High Court in Abuja had on 15 December 2023 ordered CAC to register NLS after some lawyers sued the Commission for its failure to register the association as a legal practitioner’s association in the country.
The lawyers, Bolaji Ayorinde, Mela Nunge, Garba Gajam, Emeka Ichoku, Chioma Ferguson, and Tejumola Adigun, in the suit contended that the names being considered for registration as a body of lawyers are not similar to that of the Nigerian Bar Association which could mislead the public.
Consequently, the court in a judgment delivered by Justice Gladys Olotu ordered the CAC to approve any of the proposed names submitted by the plaintiffs.
The names submitted by plaintiffs are “Nigerian Law Society,” “Nigerian Bar Society,” “Nigerian Lawyers’ Society” and “Association of Legal Practitioners of Nigeria.”
The judge ordered the CAS, “To approve for registration and thereafter register any of the proposed names submitted to it on behalf of the plaintiffs, being: The Nigerian Law Society,” “Nigerian Bar Society,” “Nigerian Lawyers’ Society” and “The Association of Legal Practitioners of Nigeria” and issue a certificate of registration to that effect.”
Olotu held that the right to peaceful assembly and association, guaranteed under Section 40 of the Constitution, Article 10 of the ACHPR, and Article 20 of the UDHR cover the kind of association the plaintiffs plan to register.
The Nigerian Bar Association established in 1933 has remained the only professional body for legal practitioners in the country.
Since its establishment, the NBA has encountered multiple instances of several groups vying for registration as a lawyers’ association.
Efforts to get the reaction of the NBA spokesperson, Akorede Lawal, proved abortive as calls to his line indicated it was not reachable. He has yet to respond to the message sent to him as of the time of filling this report.
