A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to approve the registration of a new law association, a professional body for lawyers.
Justice Gladys Olotu, in a judgment, ordered CAC to register any of the names suggested by the promoters of the new association.
The names, put forward by those behind the new group, are: ‘Nigerian Law Society,’ ‘Nigerian Bar Society,’ ‘Nigerian Lawyers’ Society’ and ‘Association of Legal Practitioners of Nigeria.”
The plaintiffs are Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN; Mela Audu Nungbe, SAN; Garba Gajam; Emeka Ichoku; Chioma Ferguson and Tejumola Adigun.
The plaintiffs, in suit number FHC/ABJ/482/2023, said they had submitted some applications to CAC for registration as an incorporated trustee but the commission refused to approve any of the proposed names.
Since 1933, when the Nigerian Law Society was founded, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has remained the sole professional body for legal practitioners in the country.
But CAC claimed that the names are similar to that of NBA and would be misleading.
The plaintiff, in the suit, prayed the court to declare that having national spread is not a pre-condition for registration as an incorporated trustee contrary to the claim of the defendant.
The plaintiff also prayed the court to hold that they do not require a letter of no objection from NBA or any other association as a pre-condition for valid registration.
They further want the court to declare that all the names submitted are not similar to the NBA and not misleading.
Justice Olotu, in the judgment delivered, faulted the refusal of the CAC to register any of the names when they were earlier presented to it by those behind the new body.
