Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, will swear in 87 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria on Monday, September 30, 2024.
Dr. Festus Akande, the Supreme Court’s Director of Information, indicated in a news release on Thursday that the event will take place in the Supreme Court’s main courtroom, signalling the official start of the 2024/2025 legal year.
The Nigerian Senate accepted Justice Kekere-Ekun’s appointment as Chief Justice of Nigeria on Wednesday, September 25, and this ceremony would be her first formal function in her new post.
The Supreme Court, which took its summer vacation on July 22, resumed hearings on September 23.
The formal legal year ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the main courtroom, with all stakeholders welcome to attend this important event.
“In line with our age-old tradition, during the special court session, the Chief Justice of Nigeria will deliver a state-of-the-judiciary address, highlighting the performance of the Supreme Court in particular and the Nigerian judiciary in general during the 2023/2024 legal year,” the statement read.
Other prominent figures in the justice sector, such as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Chairman of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA) will also deliver speeches on the current state of justice in the country.
The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee announced on July 2 the names of 98 lawyers who will be considered for the distinguished position of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
On July 30, at its 164th plenary session, the LPPC, led by the immediate past CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, elevated 87 of the 98 legal practitioners to the distinguished position of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The SAN title is an honorific designation granted on legal practitioners in Nigeria with at least ten years standing who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession, whether as courtroom advocates or in legal education.
