CJN Kekere Ekun Set To Swear In 87 New SANs As Part Of Supreme Court New Legal Year Ceremonies
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, will preside over the swearing-in of 87 newly appointed Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) in a formal ceremony scheduled for Monday, at the Supreme Court’s main courtroom in Abuja.
This event marks the official commencement of the Supreme Court’s 2024/2025 legal year and will be the first such occasion led by Justice Kekere-Ekun, following her recent confirmation as CJN by the Nigerian Senate.
In a statement released on Thursday by the Supreme Court’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Akande Festus, it was announced that the CJN would deliver a “State of the Judiciary” address, providing insights into the judiciary’s performance over the previous legal year. The ceremony is set to begin at 10:00 a.m. in the Supreme Court’s main courtroom.
“With a view to highlighting the performance of the Supreme Court in particular, and the Nigerian Judiciary in general, in the 2023/2024 legal year,” Festus said.
The event will also feature speeches from key 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 (BOSAN), and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), among others, who will address the state of the Nigerian legal system.
The Supreme Court resumed its sittings on 23 September, after its annual recess that began on 22 July, and the inauguration of the new legal year marks its formal return to full activities.
The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) had earlier shortlisted 87 lawyers for elevation to the rank of SAN, one of the highest honours in Nigeria’s legal profession. The list was approved during the LPPC’s 164th plenary session, chaired by former CJN Olukayode Ariwoola on 1 August.
The SAN rank, awarded for excellence either in courtroom advocacy or legal academia, grants recipients several privileges, including priority seating in courtrooms, expedited case hearings, and the right to wear ceremonial “silk” robes, a symbol of their distinguished status as members of the Inner Bar.
