CJN Kekere-Ekun to swear in 87 new SAN Monday

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, is set to swear in 87 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria on Monday, September 30, 2024.

The Supreme Court’s Director of Information, Dr. Festus Akande, in a press statement made on Thursday, stated that the ceremony will take place in the main courtroom of the Supreme Court, marking the official start of the 2024/2025 legal year.

Justice Kekere-Ekun’s appointment as CJN was confirmed on Wednesday, September 25, by the Nigerian Senate, and this ceremony will mark her first official event of this kind in her new role.

The Supreme Court, which went on its annual vacation on July 22, resumed sessions on September 23.

The formal legal year ceremony is slated to commence at 10:00 AM in the main courtroom, with all stakeholders invited to participate in this significant 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.

Additionally, other prominent figures in the justice sector, including 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, will also present speeches regarding the current state of justice in the country.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, on July 2, released the names of a total of 98 lawyers to be considered for the conferment of the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

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On July 30, the LPPC, at its 164th plenary session under the leadership of the immediate past CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, elevated 87 out of the 98 legal practitioners to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The SAN title is an honorific designation conferred on legal practitioners in Nigeria with not less than ten years standing who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession, either as courtroom advocates or in legal academia.