The Nigerian Law Society has rejected the directive of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, asking lawyers to stop using “Barrister” as a title and adopt “Esquire” instead.

The society argued that the directive has no clear basis in existing legislation. The CJN’s directive was contained in a July 13, 2026 memo from the Supreme Court Chief Registrar, Kabir Akanbi, instructing lawyers and court officials to discontinue using “Barrister” before their names in official engagements at the Supreme Court.

The NLS Executive Director, Dr Tonye Jaja, said the Legal Practitioners Act, 1962 recognises “Barrister” and “Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria” as titles applicable to lawyers called to the Nigerian Bar.

Jaja argued that while using only “Barrister” may not represent the full professional designation, “Esquire” is also not expressly provided for in the Act.

He therefore questioned the legal authority for replacing one title with another that is also not specifically contained in the legislation.

The NLS further criticised what it described as inconsistent treatment of professional titles, particularly the Senior Counsel of Nigeria (SCN) rank. It argued that the absence of a title from legislation does not automatically make its use unlawful.

Jaja accused the CJN and the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee of applying different standards to professional titles and maintained that professional requirements imposed on lawyers should have a clear legal basis.