By Proposes sweeping reforms to strengthen regulation and restore public trust
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the House of Representatives to consider and approve a new bill aimed at overhauling Nigeria’s legal profession. The Executive Bill, transmitted to the House and read by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen during Tuesday’s plenary, seeks to repeal and reenact the Legal Practitioners Act, Cap L11, Laws of the Federation 2004, originally enacted in 1962.
According to the President, the proposed Legal Practitioners Bill, 2025 introduces a modern regulatory framework that will raise professional standards, enhance disciplinary systems, and improve public confidence in Nigeria’s legal services sector.
Tinubu noted that although legal practitioners play a vital role in safeguarding justice and upholding the rule of law, emerging challenges in professional conduct, licensing, ethics, and disciplinary structures make a comprehensive reform necessary.
“The bill provides for greater accountability, stronger professional ethics, and a more transparent regulatory structure for legal practitioners in Nigeria,” he said. “These reforms are essential given the growing domestic and international demand for legal services.”
Key Provisions of the Proposed Legal Practitioners Bill
Section 1:
Outlines the objectives of the proposed Act, including promoting the rule of law, protecting the public interest, expanding access to justice, and improving citizens’ understanding of their legal rights and responsibilities.Section 2:
Defines the core principles expected of legal practitioners—integrity, confidentiality, ethical conduct, and loyalty to both client and court.Section 3:
Reconstitutes the Body of Benchers, granting it responsibility for admitting eligible persons into the legal profession.Section 17:
Establishes the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee with the authority to hear and determine cases of professional misconduct.Section 18:
Creates a full range of sanctions such as suspension, restriction of practice, reprimand, and removal from the roll of legal practitioners.Sections 25–26:
Introduce a mandatory two-year pupilage period and compulsory continuing professional development for all legal practitioners.Sections 27–29:
Provide for the inspection and accreditation of law offices, issuance of practising licences, and use of official seals and stamps to authenticate legal documents.
Call for Swift Passage
President Tinubu urged the House to give the bill prompt and favourable consideration, stressing that the reforms will modernise the legal profession and strengthen public trust in the justice system.
