The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has urged Senior Advocates of Nigeria to maintain and promote high ethical standards in the legal sector.
He emphasized that as esteemed members of the legal community, they must conduct themselves in ways that uphold the rank's dignity, nobility, and respect.
Fagbemi also warned junior lawyers about the importance of treating members of the inner bar (SANs) with the utmost respect, highlighting that those who hold this title deserve recognition for their accomplishments.
The minister made these remarks during a dinner in Lagos hosted by the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the SAN rank, where he serves as the chairman.
At this event, 134 new members were formally inducted into the BOSAN Induction Programme, including 87 from the 2024 cohort and 57 from the 2025 cohort.
In addition, five law students from different Nigerian universities received scholarships and various leadership awards.
The AGF stated, “Some individuals among us seem to treat the Rank as a permission slip for misconduct and indiscipline, mistakenly believing it to be irreplaceable. That, of course, is incorrect.
“The Rank serves as a privilege, and similar to all privileges, it can be rescinded if a recipient fails to meet the standards associated with it.
“The Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) has clearly outlined this in its current regulations. However, the responsibility for enforcing discipline should initiate within our own ranks. It is preferable for us as a collective to self-regulate rather than place the entire regulatory load on the LPPC or, even worse, the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC). I believe demonstrating integrity through our actions is far more effective than merely verbal instructions.”
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