The Nigerian Law Society (NLS) has rejected the directive of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, banning lawyers from using the title “Barrister” and recommending “Esquire” instead.

The NLS said the directive is not supported by the Legal Practitioners Act, 1962, arguing that “Barrister” is a title recognised under Nigerian law for lawyers called to the Bar.

The organisation made its position known through its Executive Director, Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja, who said the Legal Practitioners Act recognises the titles of Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The controversy followed a memo dated July 13, 2026, signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir Akanbi, directing lawyers and court officials to stop using “Barrister” as a prefix to their names in official engagements at the Supreme Court.

According to the directive, lawyers are expected to use “Esquire” or “Esq.” as an alternative title in official correspondence.

NLS challenges CJN’s directiveJaja argued that neither “Esquire”, “Barrister-at-Law” nor “Attorney-at-Law” is expressly provided for in the Legal Practitioners Act, 1962.

He maintained that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) cannot impose requirements on lawyers concerning matters not expressly provided for under the relevant legislation.

The NLS executive director also criticised the position of the LPPC and a Federal High Court judge regarding the Senior Counsel of Nigeria (SCN) title, popularly referred to as the Blue Silks rank.

Jaja argued that it would be contradictory to reject a professional title because it is not expressly mentioned in the Legal Practitioners Act while approving another title, such as “Esquire”, which is also not contained in the statute.NLS raises concerns over Blue SilksThe organisation further argued that the treatment of the SCN rank raises questions about consistency in regulating professional titles within the Nigerian legal profession.

Jaja said the Blue Silks rank is conferred by the Nigerian Law Society and the Body of Senior Counsel of Nigeria (BOSCON), based on guidelines which, according to him, derive their authority from constitutional and statutory provisions.

He also referenced the historical development of the King’s Counsel (KC) rank, noting that Nigeria inherited the tradition before adopting the designation Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1975.

According to him, the history of legal professional titles demonstrates that not every title used by lawyers necessarily has to be expressly created by statute.

Discrimination allegationThe NLS further accused the CJN and LPPC of inconsistency in their treatment of different professional titles.

Jaja argued that allowing lawyers to use titles that are not expressly contained in legislation while seeking to restrict other professional designations could amount to discriminatory treatment.

He cited Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution in raising concerns over alleged discrimination.

The debate over the use of “Barrister”, “Esquire”, SAN and SCN is expected to continue as stakeholders in the Nigerian legal profession examine the legal basis and professional implications of the Supreme Court directive.

Some sections of people have argued that there is nothing wrong with the use of the title “Barrister”, while others support the decision of the CJN.