President Bola Ahmad Tinubu has sought the Senate’s approval for the Legal Practitioners Bill 2025, aiming to overhaul Nigeria’s legal regulatory framework.
Gatekeepers News reports that the request was conveyed in a letter read on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
According to the letter, the proposed bill seeks to repeal the Legal Practitioners Act of 1962, currently codified as Cap L11, Laws of the Federation 2004, and introduce a modernised framework to strengthen professional standards, ethics, and public trust in legal practice.
The letter states, “The draft bill introduces a new legal framework, strengthening the regulation of the legal profession in Nigeria and providing necessary reforms to enhance professional standards, discipline, mechanisms, and public confidence in legal practice in Nigeria.”
Tinubu emphasised the critical role of legal practitioners in upholding justice, the rule of law, and access to justice, while noting challenges in regulating professional conduct, ensuring accountability, and maintaining transparent disciplinary systems amid rising domestic and international demand for legal services.
He noted that the bill outlines objectives such as promoting public interest, advancing the rule of law, and improving access to justice (Section 1), sets core principles for practitioners including integrity and client confidentiality (Section 2), and designates the body of benchers as the authority for admitting qualified persons to the bar (Section 3).
Additionally, the draft bill establishes a disciplinary committee (Section 17) with the authority to sanction professional misconduct through suspension, reprimand, or removal from the roll (Section 18). Sections 25 and 26 introduce a mandatory two-year pupillage, continuing legal education, and the issuance of practising licences authenticated with official documentation and seals.
Tinubu urged the Senate to give the bill urgent consideration. Akpabio referred the letter to the Committee on Rules and Business, instructing the panel to report back within four weeks.
