Fifty eight , 58 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) will take their oaths of allegiance on Monday, November 27, 2023, at the main Courtroom of the Supreme Court.of Nigeria before the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Olukayode Ariwoola during the 2023/2024 new legal year.
In line with the age-long tradition, the CJN will during the special court session, deliver a state-of-the Judiciary address that would highlight the performance of the Supreme Court in particular and the Nigerian Judiciary in general in the 2022/2023 legal year.
The Director of Press and Information of the Apex Court, Dr Akande Festus made this known in a press statement he issued on Sunday in Abuja.
According to him, other leading stakeholders in the Justice Sector will present speeches bordering on the state of the justice sector of the country at the occasion.
They include the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chairman of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) amongst others.
It will be recalled that 114 applications were received by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) for the award of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2023.
Out of the number, 101 are advocates while 13 are academics.
The total number of qualified applicants shortlisted after the Advocates 1st and 2nd Filtration Stages, Academic Pre-qualification, Academic 2nd Filtration Exercise, the Independent Appeals Hearing and Chambers Inspection Exercises was 69 comprising 57 advocates and 12 academics.
After conducting the specified screening and filtration exercises which include a number of appearances in superior courts, recommendations by Justices of the Supreme Court and Judges of superior courts, Chamber inspections; approval on eligibility and integrity of the candidates from the Nigerian Bar Association, Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria and the general public, amongst others, the LPPC came up with 58 successful candidates.
Out of the figure, 57 are advocates while one is an academic.
The Supreme Court commenced its annual vacation on Monday, 24th July, 2023.
Though the Court had started sitting since Monday, 18th September, 2023, the new legal year ceremony is to be formally held in accordance with its tradition.
All the programmes outlined to mark the formal commencement of the new legal year will start at 10 am in the main Courtroom of the Supreme Court.