By Abdulqadir Muhammad Alhaji
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) has directed that legal practitioners appearing before the Supreme Court should no longer use “Barrister” as a prefix before their names, in what is being described as a move to reinforce professional standards and courtroom decorum.
The directive, which takes immediate effect, seeks to end the long-standing practice of addressing lawyers as “Barrister” in official court proceedings and documentation.
According to the directive, “Barrister” is a professional designation that describes a lawyer’s qualification and status, rather than an honorific title comparable to “Dr.” or “Engr.” As a result, legal practitioners are expected to adopt conventional honorifics such as “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, or “Ms.” where appropriate, while referring to their professional status separately when necessary.
The move is said to be consistent with established common law traditions and previous judicial interpretations, which distinguish professional qualifications from formal name prefixes.
Court officials say documents filed before the Supreme Court, as well as oral appearances that do not comply with the prescribed style, may be subject to closer scrutiny as the court enforces the new directive.
The development marks a significant shift in courtroom practice and is expected to influence professional etiquette across Nigeria’s legal community, particularly if similar measures are adopted by lower courts and other judicial institutions.
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