Court Orders Registration of New Lawyers Association To Rival NBA

The Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated the Corporate Affairs Commission to officially register a new association for lawyers within the country.

A group of lawyers had initiated a legal action against the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) due to its neglect in registering their association as a recognized body of legal practitioners in the country.

Bolaji Ayorinde, Mela Nunge, Garba Gajam, Emeka Ichoku, Chioma Ferguson, and Tejumola Adigun, who are lawyers, brought forth a legal action. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs argued that the names under consideration for registration as a lawyers' association are dissimilar to that of the Nigerian Bar Association, potentially causing confusion among the public.

In a judgment issued on December 15, 2023, as observed by our correspondent on Tuesday, Justice Gladys Olotu directed the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to approve any of the proposed names submitted by the plaintiffs.

The names put forward by the plaintiffs include "Nigerian Law Society," "Nigerian Bar Society," "Nigerian Lawyers’ Society," and "Association of Legal Practitioners of Nigeria."

The judge instructed the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) 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 accordingly."

Olotu emphasized that the right to peaceful assembly and association, as guaranteed under Section 40 of the Constitution, Article 10 of the ACHPR, and Article 20 of the UDHR, encompasses the type of association the plaintiffs intend to register.

Founded in 1933, the Nigerian Bar Association has consistently served as the sole professional organization for legal practitioners in the country.

Throughout its existence, the NBA has faced various instances of several groups seeking registration as lawyers' associations.

Attempts to elicit a response from the NBA spokesperson, Akorede Lawal, were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone indicated it was unreachable. As of the time of filing this report, he has not responded to the message sent to him.