The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday dismissed a suit seeking to confer the rank of “Blue Silk” on legal practitioners in Nigeria as an alternative to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment, held that the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/421/2026, lacked merit.

“The argument by the applicants that they have a right to freedom of assembly and association does not come into play here.

“The legal profession is not like joining a political party, where one can move from party to party.

“There is only one legal profession in Nigeria, duly recognised by statute. A person cannot decide to form another legal profession, as doing so would be contrary to the law and therefore void.”

“This, therefore, means that the acts of the applicants in seeking to award the rank of Blue Silk on any legal practitioner in Nigeria are totally void and unrecognised by law,” the judge said.

According to Justice Omotosho, the actions of the applicants were contrary to the laws and regulations guiding the legal profession in Nigeria.

“The applicants cannot hide under fundamental rights to breach statutory provisions. This court will not allow it.

“The applicants have failed to establish any breach of their fundamental rights to freedom of association and fair hearing.

“The applicants bear the burden of establishing the breach of their fundamental rights, but have utterly failed to do so. Their claims are therefore ungrantable and the suit is hereby dismissed.

“This court will also follow up the decision in this matter with a consequential order, which it is empowered to make in giving effect to this judgment,” he said, citing a previous Supreme Court decision.

Justice Omotosho consequently declared that only the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) is legally empowered to confer the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on deserving legal practitioners in the country.

The judge also granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining the applicants from conferring the rank of Blue Silk, or any related title not recognised under the Legal Practitioners Act, on any legal practitioner.

The Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners and Dr Tonye Jaja filed the suit.

The applicants, through their lawyer, named the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Dr Mobolaji Ojibara, General Secretary of the NBA, as 1st and 2nd respondents, respectively.

They also joined Mr Kabir Akanbi, Secretary of the LPPC; the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee; and the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) as 3rd to 5th respondents respectively.