Dare Babalola
A former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro has kicked against the security screening requirement imposed on Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)-designates.
The Senior lawyer noted that the conferment of SAN follows clearance by the appropriate legal bodies and associations, stressing that it must not be subjected to scrutiny by the Department of State Security (DSS).
In a statement issued on Monday, Akinboro, expressed worry over such a move urging the NBA, the Legal Practitioners Privilges Committee (LPPC) and the Body of Benchers, (BOB) to resist it.
He dismissed it “as an intrusion into the independence of the legal profession.”
“The conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria is not a political appointment, nor is it an executive privilege. To subject this process to external security vetting, after rigorous scrutiny has already been undertaken by the LPPC, is an intrusion that undermines both the independence of the profession and the sanctity of due process,” he wrote.
Furthermore, Akinboro said, “The strength of the Bar has always been its autonomy. If we allow institutions outside the profession to insert themselves into its core processes without legal basis, we open the door to a precedent that may one day compromise not only the rank of SAN but also the independence of our Courts, our appointments, and ultimately, our ability to dispense justice without fear or favour.”
He called on the NBA, under its president Afam Osigwe, alongside the LPPC and the Body of Benchers to resist the practice.
“The legal profession must resist every attempt to muscle the Bar. To remain silent is to acquiesce, and acquiescence today may cost us the profession we hold dear tomorrow,” he added.
