A former Chairman of the Abuja Branch of the NBA and currently the Chairman of the Mentoring Committee for Young Lawyers of the Body of Benchers of Nigeria, Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN has commended the recent judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which ordered the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, to register a new association for legal practitioners in the country.
The learned silk informed he would be in attendance of the maiden meeting of the new association which has been registered as the Nigerian Law Society, NLS.
Mela Nunge, Chioma Ferguson, Garba Gajam, Tejumola Adigun, Bolaji Ayorinde, and Emeka Ichoku had sued the Corporate Affairs Commission over it’s inability to register a rival legal fraternity body. This was followed by them asking that the new association to be registered is not in any way familiar with the Nigerian Bar Association which may have misled the general public.
Justice Gladys Olotu, who presided judgment ordered the CAC to approve any of the proposed names submitted by the plaintiffs.
“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.” This was ordered to the CAC in accordance 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.”
Gadzama, while appreciating Justice Gladys Olotu of the high court for her courage and boldness to okay the creation of the new body, called on members of the National Assembly, who are lawyers, to seize the opportunity and table the relevant amendments for consideration.
He said, “It is certainly going to be a gradual process and one thing that is sure is that interesting times lie ahead for legal practice in Nigeria and I believe that 2024 will be a good year for legal practitioners”. He also noted that the creation of the new legal body of lawyers is not to rival the NBA by stating that “the sky is large enough to accommodate many shining stars.”
Since its establishment, the NBA in 1933 which has been the only professional body for legal practitioners has at different times had several groups vying for another registration of lawyers’ association.
The Nigerian Bar Association is yet to respond officially and unofficially to this issue.