President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday called for a sweeping transformation of Nigeria’s legal profession as he forwarded the Legal Practitioners Bill 2025 to the Senate for consideration.
The proposed legislation aims at a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s legal regulatory framework, including reforms in professional regulation, ethics enforcement, licensing procedures, and disciplinary mechanisms.
The bill, read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, seeks to repeal the Legal Practitioners Act of 1962, currently codified as Cap L11 of the Laws of the Federation 2004. Tinubu noted in his transmission letter that the existing framework is outdated and no longer suited to the evolving demands of legal practice both within Nigeria and internationally.
According to the President, the new bill introduces a modern, forward-looking structure designed to strengthen the regulation of the legal profession. He stated that the reforms would enhance professional standards, improve disciplinary processes, and boost public confidence in the justice system.
Tinubu emphasized that emerging issues around practitioner licensing, enforcement of ethical conduct, and disciplinary accountability made a complete legislative overhaul necessary. This, he said, would help restore trust and ensure greater transparency in the administration of justice.
The draft legislation proposes some of the most extensive reforms to the Nigerian Bar in over 60 years. Key highlights include:
Section 1: Clear objectives prioritizing public interest, protection of the rule of law, and improved access to justice.
Section 2: Codification of essential ethical principles, including integrity, confidentiality, and high professional conduct.
Section 3: Establishment of a new statutory body to oversee the admission of qualified individuals into the legal profession.
Section 17: Strengthening of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee with expanded powers to hear and determine misconduct cases.
Section 18: Introduction of a wide range of sanctions for erring lawyers, such as suspension, restriction, reprimand, or striking off from the roll.
Sections 25–26: Implementation of a mandatory two-year Post-Professional Legal Internship (PPLI) and compulsory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for all legal practitioners.
Sections 27–29: Mandatory inspection and accreditation of law offices, issuance of practising licences, and adoption of official seals and stamps for authentication and compliance.
President Tinubu urged the Senate to give the bill swift consideration, insisting that Nigeria’s expanding domestic and international legal service needs demand stronger institutional safeguards and uniform professional benchmarks.
Following its first reading, the Senate referred the bill to its Committee on Rules and Business to initiate the legislative process for further debate and scrutiny.
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