Senior Advocates Of No-Consequence (SANs)

 By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

The ritual of the “Call to Bar” is the formal ceremony for the admission of new entrants into Nigeria’s legal profession. The responsibility for administering it resides in the Body of Benchers (BoB), a statutory entity described by law as “a body of legal practitioners of the highest distinction in the legal profession in Nigeria.”

The solemnity of the Call to Bar is guaranteed by the presence of members of the BoB who administer the ceremony resplendent in ceremonial gowns supposed to testify to their high distinction in matters legal. The criteria for the determination of this threshold requirement of “highest distinction” antecedent to membership of the BoB are, however, opaque.

How To Stand Tall For An Independent Bar

 By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

In 1981, Chief Gani Fawehinmi was already 16 years at the Nigerian Bar and one of its brightest stars. Already a breakout litigator, Gani had also become a pioneer in the enterprise of legal publishing. One decade earlier, he had served the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) as its national publicity secretary. Among the lawyers of his or, in fact, any other generation active at the Bar, there were few who could claim to be more accomplished.

*Fawehinmi

The hallmark of excellence in legal practice in Nigeria, the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was a mere six years old at the time. Then – as now – the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) was the statutory body established to consider and determine eligible applicants for the rank. As always, it was chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). By any measure, Gani Fawehinmi was more than eligible to take the rank in 1981.

Bola Ige, The Predictor

By Lekan Alabi

Last Sunday, September 30, this year, marked exactly the 35th year that the first civilian governor of the old Oyo State, (present Oyo and Osun States) the late Chief ’Bola Ige, Senior Advocate of Nigerian (SAN) left office in a rather foggy circumstance.

*Bola Ige 

Foggy in the sense that happenings preceding the gazetted end of his government were fraught with threats, betrayals, back stabbings etc. I intend, by this article, to recall history, but more importantly, to pull the ears of present-day enfant terrible in Nigeria’s political space, that their disturbing acts of incivility, winner – takes – all, anti-party deals, etc., do not advance democracy and good governance.