48 lawyers for SAN interview

Forty-eight lawyers are being considered for the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title.

The public has been given till Friday to comment on the integrity and competence of the lawyers.

A statement yesterday by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary, Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC), Usman Musale, listed the shortlisted candidates as: Rotimi Jacob, Orji Nwafor Orizu, Dorothy Udeme Ufot, Chuwkuma Ekomaru, Joe Ojo Abrahams, Patrick Ocheja Okolo and Olusina Sofola, Mike Ozhekhome, Offiong Bassey Offiong, Akinlaja Moses, A.J. Owonikoko, Adekunle Ogunba, Oluwemimo Ogunde, Fredson Chijoke Okoli, C.O. Toyin Pinheiro, and O.O. Ojutalayo, among others.

The interview date is yet to be announced.

No fewer than 126 lawyers, 19 from the academics and 117 advocates applied for SAN last year.

After the screening and the interview, 61 advocates and three academics were found to have met the criteria for the award. Twenty-six were eventually appointed.

The appointment raised the number of SAN to 300

SAN is conferred on legal practitioners of not less than 10 years’ standing and who have distinguished themselves in their work.

It is the equivalent of the Queen’s Counsel in the United Kingdom, South Australia, the Northern Territory, and Canada (except Ontario and Quebec).

Several countries use similar designations such as Senior counsel, state counsel, senior advocate and president’s advocate.

A SAN is said to have been admitted to the "Inner Bar", as distinguished from the "Outer", where junior lawyers sit in court.

The LPPC, the conferring authority, comprises the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), as Chairman, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, a Justice of the Supreme Court who is chosen by the CJN and the Attorney-General (for a term of two years, renewable once).

Others include the President of the Court of Appeal, five states’ Chief Judges (chosen by the CJN and the Attorney-General for a term of two years, renewable once), the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, and five legal practitioners who are SAN (chosen by the Chief Justice and the Attorney-General for a term of two years, renewable once).

The title was first conferred on the late Chief F.R.A. Williams and Dr Nabo Graham-Douglas on April 3, 1975.