Posted by By Ise-Oluwa Ige on
ABUJA - THE Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Salihu Modibo Alfa Belgore yesterday.....
ABUJA - THE Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Salihu Modibo Alfa Belgore yesterday admitted 25 lawyers into the prestigious rank of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).
Another legal practitioner, Mr Oluwakemi Adekunle Pinhero whose name was dropped last year following a petition that he was involved in the controversial death of Mobitel boss, Mr Alaba Joseph, was also confirmed yesterday.
The Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee last year deleted his name from the list of senior lawyers admitted into the prestigious rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).
Those that made the list yesterday were selected from 126 lawyers who applied for the exalted rank.
22 of the 25 legal practitioners are from private and public legal practice while the three others are from the academia.
Those who made the list from legal practice include Nwobidike Nwanodi, Adebayo A Adelodun, Okuchukwu Ugolo, Charles A B Akparanta, Joe Odey Agi, Nathaniel Oke and Mohammed Bello Adoke.
Also on the list are Oluyele Delano, Markus Saleh, Saka Abimbola Isau, Olawale Akoni, Oladejo O Lamikanra, Duro Adeyele, Michael Aondoaka, A B Kalejaiye, Roland Ifoyah Otaru, Olasupo Shasore and Richard A Ogunwole, Adedapo Akinrele, Robert I Clarke, Anthony G Ikoli and Ibrahim Isiaku.
The three academics that would henceforth don the silks are Prof D A Ijalaye, Prof M I Jegede and Prof E Azinge.
The title - Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is the most prestigious title awarded in the legal profession. It is awarded to legal practitioners who have distinguished themselves in practice, researches, morals and with at least 10 years post call experience.
The title is equivalent to the British Queen's Counsel (QC) or the Irish Senior Counsel (SC).
By operation of law, SANs are entitled to certain privileges over other lawyers when they appear in law courts, including sitting at the first row of the bar exclusively reserved for them and having their cases called first before other lawyers'.