₦airaland Forum

CJN Bars Lawyers From Using 'Barrister' Title

PROHIBITION OF THE USE OF THE TITLE "BARRISTER" AS A PREFIX TO NAMES
13TH JULY, 2026

I am directed by the Honourable the Chief Justice of Nigeria to notify all Litigation Staff, Legal Practitioners, Court Registrars, and Lawyers that the use of the title "Barrister" as a prefix to names is inappropriate and inconsistent with the standards of professionalism expected within the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Consequently, all officers concerned are hereby directed to discontinue the use of the title "Barrister" before their names in all official correspondence, records, documents, identity materials, and any other official engagements with immediate effect.

Heads of Departments and Unit Heads are requested to ensure strict compliance with this directive by all officers under their supervision. Please be guided accordingly.

KABIR E. AKANBI, Esq. Chief Registrar

Have they finished tackling the corruption in the judicial system?

😁😁😁😁
Barrister Lawyer as my Ibadan people say

So na wetin dem go come use?

Counsel as in 'Coun Kehinde Agabi esq.'?

Ahhh, festus keyamo is a Hon

I used to think Barrister also mean lawyer

The CJN should stop playing, I wont stop calling my lawyer friends barristers. Lawyers themselves love the title so this directive can't be enforced on the streets.

Nigerians just like titles.

It shouldn’t be so. Same as these ones:
1. Architect
2. Barrister
3. Pharmacists
4. Builder
5. Urban and Regional planner
6. Surveyor
7. Nurse
Etc.

The fact that you spent 5 years or 6 years in school doesn’t confer on your course a “professional” status.

That’s a privilege for specifically Medical Doctors and Engineers. The reason why they are called that is because the society places a level of responsibility on their knowledge and so must distinguish them by reason of that.

Oluwa mi, oruko temi ni Agbejoro Agbabiaka Omiosetanikoko Teleganlosoro.

Awodifire:
CJN Bars Lawyers From Using 'Barrister' Title




KABIR E. AKANBI, Esq. Chief Registrar

They are not even inducted as Barristers. Only God knows where the title come from sef.

Nwaikpe:
Nigerians just like titles.

These shouldn’t be:
1. Architect
2. Barrister
3. Pharmacists

You are comparing apples and oranges.
Those ones were inducted to bear those professional titles. They will be called out, take their professional oath then subseqiently assigned the title.


A Pharmacist is inducted and assigned the professional title of Pharmacist. Same applies to an Architect. Nowhere is a lawyer inducted as a barrister. It is embarrasing and showed the Supreme Court has eventually had enough of the nonsense.

Come and collect it from me na

Nwaikpe:
Nigerians just like titles.

These shouldn’t be:
1. Architect
2. Barrister
3. Pharmacists

Stray bullet reach architects and pharmacists

After years of studies just to earn a degree , they are speaking oyinbo

FreeStuffsNG:
They are not even inducted as Barristers. Only God knows where the title come from sef.


You are comparing apples and oranges.
Those ones were inducted to bear those professional titles. They will be called out and swear the professional oath then subseqiently assigned the title.

The fact that anyone swears an oath with an induction doesn’t confer on them the right to bear a suffix title.

Engineers don’t do any form of induction. But they are expected to carry the title when qualified.

Moreso, any profession can wake up and create their professional path and swear to it. Will they now bear a “professional title?”

What is then the need of reading LAW in school? 90% of Nigerian law students went for the title and that court wig. Nothing else

AbelAbdul:
What is then the need of reading LAW in school?

Reason is TO PRACTICE LAW.
Not to bear titles.

Nwaikpe:
Reason is TO PRACTICE LAW.
Not to bear titles.

But in Nigeria it's the opposite.

Wetin make dem come dey use? Collinton?
There's no be deal to people using their professional prefixes, after all, doctors use theirs.

Nwaikpe:
The fact that anyone swears an oath with an induction doesn’t confer on them the right to bear a suffix title.

Engineers don’t do any form of induction. But they are expected to carry the title when qualified.

Moreso, any profession can wake up and create their professional path and swear to it. Will they now bear a “professional title?”

Smh.
You are getting more confused by relating it to engineering.

Is a programmer being called software engineer compared to a Pharmacist who the law demands he or she bears a title to discharge responsibilities?

Why will the Pharmacist wear the white coat with name yet no title and you expect patients to believe they are being attended to by a Pharmacist? You think it is for emtertainment, ba.

And how will an Architect finish a drawing without his title on the drawing that can be copied and pasted? If the title is irrelevant then you are ignorant niyen.

I have enlightened you. It is not by force to comment on what you don't know. No lawyer was inducted as barrister or licensed with such title.

Nwaikpe:
Nigerians just like titles.

It shouldn’t be so. Same as these ones:
1. Architect
2. Barrister
3. Pharmacists
4. Builder
5. Urban and Regional planner
6. Surveyor
7. Nurse
Etc.

The fact that you spent 5 years or 6 years in school doesn’t confer on your course a “professional” status.

That’s a privilege for specifically Medical Doctors and Engineers. The reason why they are called that is because the society places a level of responsibility on their knowledge and so must distinguish them by reason of that.

lol you are a joker . The term Arc. Is globally used and not just in Nigeria alone

The obsession with titles in Nigeria caused all these.

Nwaikpe:
The fact that anyone swears an oath with an induction doesn’t confer on them the right to bear a suffix title.

Engineers don’t do any form of induction. But they are expected to carry the title when qualified.

Moreso, any profession can wake up and create their professional path and swear to it. Will they now bear a “professional title?”

It is not true. The fact that you studied engineering does not mean that you could be called an engineer. You can only be called an engineer if you have gotten your coren.

FreeStuffsNG:
They are not even inducted as Barristers. Only God knows where the title come from sef.


You are comparing apples and oranges.
Those ones were inducted to bear those professional titles. They will be called out, take their professional oath then subseqiently assigned the title.


A Pharmacist is inducted and assigned the professional title of Pharmacist. Same applies to an Architect. Nowhere is a lawyer inducted as a barrister. It is embarrasing and showed the Supreme Court has eventually had enough of the nonsense.

Why do you always expose your ignorance on a public forum? Yes, the word 'Barrister' is not a title but those called to the Bar and enrolled are qualified as Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Dalohad:
So na wetin dem go come use?

Counsel as in 'Coun Kehinde Agabi esq.'?

"Esq." After your name or initials will suffice e.g. Kehinde Agabi Esq. Orally you can say counsel or barrister, but not in writing as a title.

FreeStuffsNG:
They are not even inducted as Barristers. Only God knows where the title come from sef.


You are comparing apples and oranges.
Those ones were inducted to bear those professional titles. They will be called out, take their professional oath then subseqiently assigned the title.


A Pharmacist is inducted and assigned the professional title of Pharmacist. Same applies to an Architect. Nowhere is a lawyer inducted as a barrister. It is embarrasing and showed the Supreme Court has eventually had enough of the nonsense.

The official title of a lawyer is Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria

A lawyer in Nigeria is both a Barrister and a Solicitor. In England you're either one or the other and the epiphet Barrister for a Nigerian lawyer isn't entirely accurate and is inappropriate

Etiyeokwe:
Why do you always expose your ignorance on a public forum? Yes, the word 'Barrister' is not a title but those called to the Bar and enrolled are qualified as Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

I was just about to educate him.

FreeStuffsNG:
Smh.
You are getting more confused by relating it to engineering.

Is a programmer being called software engineer compared to a Pharmacist who the law demands he or she bears a title to discharge responsibilities?

Why will the Pharmacist wear the white coat with name yet no title and you expect patients to believe they are being attended to by a Pharmacist? You think it is for emtertainment, ba.

And how will an Architect finish a drawing without his title on the drawing that can be copied and pasted? If the title is irrelevant then you are ignorant niyen.

I have enlightened you. It is not by force to comment on what you don't know. No lawyer was inducted as barrister or licensed with such title.

All these titles na third world countries like use am. Never seen any American or British Engineer using the Engr suffix. Same for architects ... all plain Mr... you can then add your professional qualifications

The first sensible policy out of this British contraption in 101 years.

Everyday new problems for this country

Nothing special about them because we are lawyers and judges in Nigeria