No legal basis for CJN’s ban on ‘Barrister’ title — Law society

The Nigerian Law Society has rejected the Chief Justice of Nigeria's directive to stop using the title "Barrister" and instead adopt "Esquire." The society argued that there is no clear legal basis for this directive as it is not supported by existing legislation. The memo from the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, dated July 13, 2026, instructed lawyers and court officials to immediately stop using "Barrister" in official engagements at the Supreme Court, claiming it was meant to promote professional standards at the apex court.

However, the Nigerian Law Society, through its Executive Director Dr Tonye Jaja, stated that the Legal Practitioners Act, 1962 recognizes "Barrister" and "Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria" as titles applicable to lawyers called to the Nigerian Bar. Jaja argued that the use of "Barrister" alone does not capture the full professional title and suggested using "Esquire" as the appropriate suffix in official correspondences to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

He also pointed out that the CJN, the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, and the Nigerian Bar Association cannot impose requirements on lawyers that are not explicitly stated in the Legal Practitioners Act. Jaja further criticized the inconsistency in treating the "Senior Counsel of Nigeria" title, which is not explicitly mentioned in the Legal Practitioners Act, yet the society is being asked to abandon the "Barrister" title.