The Federal High Court in Abuja has approved the creation of another association for Nigerian lawyers, different from the existing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
The approval comes after some lawyers sued the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) over its failure to register their association as a legal practitioner body in the country.
Persecondnews reports that a group of lawyers, led by Lagos-based lawyer Mr. Kunle Ogunba, announced in December 2022 the creation of a new body known as the Law Society of Nigeria (LSN).
In its preliminary objection and defence to the substantive suit, the CAC argued, among others, that the names are similar to those of the NBA and would be misleading.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Gladys Olotu ordered the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) “to register any of the names suggested by the promoters of the new association and issue a certificate of registration to that effect.”
The proposed names of the plaintiffs are “Nigerian Law Society,” “Nigerian Bar Society,” “Nigerian Lawyers’ Society,” and “Association of Legal Practitioners of Nigeria.”
Olotu held that the right to peaceful assembly and association, guaranteed under Section 40 of the Constitution, Article 10 of the ACHPR, and Article 20 of the UDHR, covers the kind of association the plaintiffs plan to register.
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