Body of Benchers sets fresh hurdles for lawyers

Bankole Makinde, Abuja - 24.02.2008

HERCULEAN task now awaits lawyers desirous of being elevated into the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) as the Body of Benchers (BOB) has reportedly rolled out stricter criteria to be met before being decorated with the insignia of the body.

Sunday Tribune gathered authoritatively that an intending SAN must have his/her law chamber located in a duplex building as the past habit of hiring offices in shopping complexes and plazas would no longer be tolerated.

Also, such office must be serviced by a standby 25KVA capacity generator, while all authorities of the office must be accessible on the internet.

Apart from having a well-equipped and functioning library manned by a qualified librarian, the office must be “generously” furnished and must have at least four lawyers working under the principal partners who own the law chamber.

Additionally, intending SANs must be ready to part with a sum of N200,000 to purchase the form, while the applicant must have argued cases at least three times at the Supreme Court or have up to six appearances at the Court of Appeal.

Apart from the unwritten convention of the quota system, which would also be applicable in selecting those to be inducted, intending SANs, according to source, must also be ready to play the “politics of SANship.

The Body of Bachelors is presently headed by Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, a former Minister of Education under the Major-General Muhammadu Buhari administration and also a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Efforts to confirm the latest development from the SAN section of the Supreme Court, Abuja was futile as the officer in charge, known simply as Blessing was said to be indisposed when Sunday Tribune called.