ALTERNATIVE TO THE RANK OF SENIOR ADVOCATE OF NIGERIA (SAN) ON NON-LITIGATION LAWYERS IN NIGERIA.

Non-litigation lawyers in Nigeria now have an alternative to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, rank, which is conferred on legal practitioners who are judged to have demonstrated exceptional distinction in legal practice. The SAN rank, conferred on lawyers by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, LPPC, is seen as the most prestigious honour in the legal profession in Nigeria. Recipients are lawyers selected for excelling in advocacy, scholarship or public service. In the recent developments, it does appear that the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, has moved to provide an alternative by announcing that it would confer the title of “Senior Counsel of Nigeria, SCN, and other Blue Silks ranks upon non-litigation Nigerian lawyers”. Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, in a statement made on Tuesday, said “At last non-litigation Nigerian lawyers have an alternative to Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank,” the statement said. Apart from having Blue Silk as their signature dress, this association has compactmentalised their ranks in three categories – Senior Counsel of Nigeria, SCN, Senior Legislative Counsel of Nigeria, SELCON, and Senior Legal Academic, SLA. They anchored their position on that fact that by virtie of Section 40 p of the 1999 Constititoon of FRN, they are empowered to form their association so long as it is not illegal. Thus according to this association, the Blue Silks rank investiture is a legal, legitimate exercise and enjoys the backing of Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and the inherent powers to confer ranks upon the members of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, an incorporated trustee under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020. Just to test their seriousness, they have gone ahead in law court challenging some ostensible monopolies of NBA in Nigeria among its members. In suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2547/2025, the Federal High Court, Abuja, is considering an application in which ALDRAP is seeking a perpetual injunction against the NBA to stop meddling in the Blue Silks rank investiture ceremony. In another lawsuit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2594/2025), ALDRAP asked the Federal High Court, Abuja, to order the Nigerian President and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, to break the monopoly of the NBA as regards fixing of prices of legal goods and services under Section 88 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act, 2018. The only perceived problems at the moment are what and where would an elevated member enjoy his privilege since they are non-litigation lawyers? Will there be a venue where the Blue Silk will display their "NON LITIGATION" prowess because the "joy of the SANship is in the Courtroom."