Nigerian Law School Releases Bar Exam Results: 604 Candidates Fail, 251 Achieve First Class
The Council of Legal Education (CLE) and the Nigerian Law School have announced the results for the November 2023 Bar Final Examinations, revealing a mixed outcome for the candidates. Among the 5,308 applicants who sat for the examination, 251 individuals, constituting 5% of the total, secured the prestigious First Class Honours grade, while 1,024 candidates (19%) achieved the Second Class Upper Honours grade.
However, the results also disclosed a concerning figure: 604 candidates, representing 11% of the total, failed the examination and will need to retake it in the future. Additionally, 2,179 candidates (41%) attained the Second Class Lower grade, and 967 candidates (18%) secured the Pass grade. A further 283 applicants (5%) received a Conditional Pass grade.
In a significant development, the Council of Legal Education sanctioned the commencement of law degree programs in five accredited universities across the nation. The approved institutions include Adamawa State University in Mubi, Adamawa State; Mewar International University in Masaka, Nasarawa State; Federal University in Wukari, Taraba State; Taraba State University in Jalingo, Taraba State, and Nigerian Police Academy in Wudil, Kano State.
These decisions were made during the quarterly meeting of the Council chaired by Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN. Acting Secretary to the Council, Ms. Aderonke Osho, highlighted that the accreditation was granted based on reports submitted by the Board of Studies, overseen by the Director-General, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN.
Furthermore, the Council of Legal Education approved various sanctions for cases related to admission referrals, examination malpractice, and other misconduct. It also endorsed recommendations for the promotion and discipline of senior academic and non-academic staff of the Nigerian Law School, as well as the promotion of intermediate academic and library staff based on their publication records.
Moreover, the Council appointed new Deputy Directors-General and heads of campuses for the Nigerian Law School, with each serving a five-year tenure. Additionally, decisions were made to address the backlog of law graduates resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike in the academic sessions of 2019/2020 and 2020/2021.
The Council expressed gratitude to various stakeholders, including the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, for their contributions towards improving facilities and infrastructure at various campuses of the Nigerian Law School.
