Section 5 of the Legal Practitioners Act: Conferment, etc., of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (Nigeria Lawyers)
Citation: Legal Practitioners Act 1975, Chapter L11 (Cap. L11), Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004
5. Conferment, etc., of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria
(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee established under subsection (3) of this section may by instrument confer on a legal practitioner the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
(2) A person shall not be conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria unless he has been qualified to practise as a legal practitioner in Nigeria for not less than ten years and has achieved distinction in the legal profession in such manner as the Committee may, from time to time, determine.
(3) There shall be a committee to be called the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee which shall consist of the following —
(a) the Chief Justice who shall be chairman;
(b) one Justice of the Supreme Court;
(c) the Attorney‐General of the Federation;
(d) the President of the Court of Appeal;
(e) five of the Chief Judges of the States;
(f) the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court; and
(g) five legal practitioners who are Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
(4) The members of the committee under paragraphs (c), (e), and (g) of subsection (3) of this section shall be appointed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria in consultation with the Attorney‐General of the Federation.
(5) Members of the committee under paragraphs (c), (e) and (g) of subsection (3) of this section shall hold office for two years after which they shall be eligible for re‐appointment for one further term of two years only.
(6) The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee may act notwithstanding any vacancy in its membership.
(7) The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee may, with the approval of the Body of Benchers, make rules as to the privileges to be accorded to Senior Advocates of Nigeria, as to the functions of a legal practitioner, which are not to be performed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as to the mode of appearance before courts by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and generally, but without prejudice to the foregoing, for ensuring the dignity of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
(8) Until the first rules made in pursuance of subsection (7) of this section come into force, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria shall not be entitled to engage in practice as a member of the legal profession otherwise than as a barrister, but nothing in this subsection shall be construed as precluding a Senior Advocate of Nigeria from entering into, or continuing in partnership with a legal practitioner who is not a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
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