legal diary News

Judicial proceedings highlight accountability, transparency and fair hearing in the management of Nigerian Bar Association affairs. By Legal Diary News | 23 October 2026 A court has reportedly declined an ex parte application filed by the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, seeking to restrain an investigative committee constituted to examine allegations surrounding a controversial ₦100 million gift. The development follows the decision of the NBA President, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, to establish a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the funds and determine whether any financial irregularities occurred. The court reportedly declined to grant the interim restraining order sought by the applicant and directed that the respondents be placed on notice before further consideration of the matter. BACKGROUND OF THE CONTROVERSY The dispute arose following allegations concerning the management and handling of a ₦100 m...

Implementation of the Remuneration Order remains crucial to protecting lawyers against professional undercutting and ensuring fair compensation for legal services. By Legal Diary News | 22 October 2026 The enforcement of the Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration (for Business, Legal Services and Representation) Order 2023 continues to attract attention within the Nigerian legal profession, particularly concerning professional fees, compliance with prescribed remuneration scales and disciplinary consequences for violations. The Order establishes minimum remuneration standards for specified legal services, aimed at promoting fair compensation, professional dignity and ethical legal practice. Despite its introduction, concerns remain over inadequate awareness, professional undercutting and inconsistent compliance among legal practitioners. LAWYERS MUST COMPLY WITH PRESCRIBED FEES Under the Remuneration Order, legal practitioners are expected to charge fees in accordance wit...

Apex Court overturns earlier precedent, rules that appeals from lawyers' disciplinary body cannot proceed directly to Supreme Court, raising concerns over access to justice and professional discipline. By Legal Diary News | 22 October 2026 The Supreme Court of Nigeria has delivered a landmark judgment redefining the appellate procedure for challenging decisions of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), declaring Section 12(7) of the Legal Practitioners Act unconstitutional to the extent that it permits appeals directly from the disciplinary body to the apex court. The judgment, delivered on 26 June 2026 in Ben Mene-Ejegi v. Nigerian Bar Association & Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee , Appeal No. SC/481/2018, has continued to generate significant discussion within the Nigerian legal profession over its implications for disciplinary proceedings, constitutional supremacy and the right of legal practitioners to challenge disciplinary sanctio...

Calls for speedy prosecution of traffic offenders, improved road safety enforcement and greater compliance with traffic regulations. By Legal Diary News | 22 October 2026 The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has called for stronger collaboration with the Nigerian judiciary to enhance the enforcement of traffic laws, ensure speedy prosecution of offenders and promote safer roads across the country. The call, reported on 21 October 2026, underscores the need for effective cooperation between law enforcement agencies and judicial institutions in addressing traffic violations and improving compliance with road safety regulations. The Corps emphasised the importance of timely adjudication of traffic-related offences, noting that effective enforcement requires not only the arrest of offenders but also a functional judicial process capable of ensuring accountability. STRENGTHENING TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT Traffic violations, including dangerous driving, excessive...

Senior lawyer says proposed Bar Centre should promote professional excellence, mentorship, unity and access to justice. Dr Ubani SAN has called for a safe, dignified and professionally supportive environment for legal practitioners, stressing that the independence of lawyers is essential to an effective justice system and the protection of the rule of law. Ubani made the call while delivering the keynote address and serving as Chairman of the Occasion at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oron Branch Law Week, held under the theme, “Legal Administration and Legal Practice in a Secured Environment.” The event also featured the foundation-laying ceremony for the proposed NBA Oron House, Bar Centre. He said security in legal practice goes beyond the presence of security personnel or the provision of physical facilities. It includes protection from threats and intimidation, freedom from unlawful interference, safeguarding confidential information, digital security and institut...

The reported denial of entry to some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) during the recent opening of the Legal Year and conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the Supreme Court is deeply troubling to me and others  and deserves serious reflection. Videos circulating online showed distinguished senior lawyers, fully robed and ready to attend the ceremony, stranded outside the hall, apparently helpless and unable to participate in an event celebrating their profession. I watched these scenes in Europe  with profound embarrassment and sadness. These were not ordinary spectators. They were officers of the court, members of the inner Bar and, in many cases, practitioners who have devoted decades to the administration of justice and the development of the legal profession. Whatever the precise circumstances that led to this unfortunate situation, it raises a fundamental question: how could an event of such national and professional significance be organi...

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has dismissed an appeal by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and upheld a ₦12 million compensation awarded to Dr. Monday Ubani, SAN, over his unlawful detention for 21 days in 2019. The appellate court also awarded ₦300,000 costs against the commission. Ubani was detained after securing administrative bail for a client accused of jumping bail. Despite a court order directing the EFCC to either release him conditionally or charge him with an alleged offence, the commission failed to comply. The development prompted Ubani’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, to institute a fundamental rights enforcement suit on his behalf. On January 5, 2022, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Sylvanus Oriji, ruled in Ubani’s favour and awarded him ₦12 million compensation for the violation of his fundamental rights. Dissatisfied with the judgment, the EFCC approached the Court of Appeal, challenging the jurisdiction of the tri...