When Nigeria’s Senior Lawyers Are Shut Out: A Call for Better Organization of Supreme Court Ceremonies, Monday Ubani – THISAGE

The reported denial of entry to some Senior Lawyers of Nigeria (SANs) during the recent opening of the legal year and award of the rank of Senior Lawyer of Nigeria in the Supreme Court is deeply worrying to me and others and deserves serious reflection.

Videos circulating online showed prominent senior lawyers, fully robed and ready to attend the ceremony, locked out of the room, seemingly defenseless and unable to participate in an event celebrating their profession. I watched these scenes in Europe with deep embarrassment and sadness.
These were no ordinary spectators. They were court officials, members of the House Bar Association and, in many cases, professionals who dedicated decades to the administration of justice and the development of the legal profession.
Whatever the precise circumstances that led to this unfortunate situation, it raises a fundamental question: How is it possible to organize an event of such national and professional importance in such a way as to prevent some of its key stakeholders from entering?

To be fair, a ceremony designed to celebrate the dignity of the legal profession must never become a source of embarrassment to its members.
The opening of the Legal Year and the awarding of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria represent important institutional occasions. They celebrate professional excellence, the administration of justice, and the enduring relationship between the Court and the Bar.
Politicians, public officials, family members and friends of the new silk are invited to participate and share in the celebration. However, accommodating all invited guests requires careful planning, effective coordination and a reliable admissions process.

The recent incident seems to me to underline the consequences of inadequate organisation. If organizers are aware that seating capacity is limited, they should anticipate attendance, coordinate invitations and accreditations, establish clear admission procedures, and provide appropriate guidance to guests.
A predictable challenge should not be allowed to degenerate into a spectacle in which senior lawyers are left stranded in corridors, fully robed, at an event held to celebrate the legal profession.
Good organization is not optional in a national judicial event; it is an essential part of the dignity of the profession.

To highlight, the rank of Senior Lawyer of Nigeria is one of the highest professional awards in the country. Many older silks have spent decades appearing before courts, mentoring younger lawyers, serving professional associations, and advocating for the rule of law.
They are not entitled to preferential treatment simply because of their title, but deserve the consideration and respect due to every invited participant, especially on an occasion of this importance.
Their presence at the award ceremony represents more than just a presence. It reflects the professional solidarity, continuity and transmission of the Order’s traditions from one generation to the next.
As new silks deserve a dignified welcome, their older colleagues deserve the opportunity to share their joy. These objectives are complementary and should never be compromised by avoidable administrative shortcomings.

In my opinion the issue therefore does not just concern access to a room or the availability of seats. It is about professional dignity, institutional respect and the message conveyed to younger lawyers and the public about the values ​​of our esteemed profession.
The legal profession must not celebrate the elevation of some of its members while inadvertently humiliating others.
I have heard that many high-level lawyers, including a state attorney general, were humiliated when Supreme Court officials asked them to leave the courtroom. Why? As?

The Office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Corps of Senior Lawyers of Nigeria (BOSAN) should clarify what happened and explain the circumstances that led to the reported exclusion of some senior lawyers.
This is not a call to condemn someone without hearing their side of the story. It is an invitation to responsibility and improvement.
Has the planned participation been adequately assessed? Have seating arrangements, accreditation and admission procedures been adequately coordinated? Have sufficient measures been taken to manage the movement of invited guests?
These questions deserve answers, not to needlessly assign blame, but to establish the facts and prevent them from happening again.
If we find that inadequate planning or poor coordination contributed to the accident, the appropriate response should be recognition of the shortcomings and a clear commitment to correcting them in the future.
Silence should not be the final response to an event that has caused such visible embarrassment to the profession. A timely explanation and practical corrective measures would reassure the bar that the lesson has been learned.

The main lesson of what transpired last Monday is clear to all: organization must be a top priority at every future award ceremony and major event in the legal profession.
Organizers must make realistic assessments of expected attendance, seating capacity and safety requirements well in advance. Invitations and accreditation should be properly coordinated, admission protocols clearly communicated and sufficient staff employed to manage entry and resolve difficulties.

Contingency arrangements must also be made for unexpected attendance and other foreseeable challenges. Where capacity constraints make it necessary to limit entry, the process must be orderly, transparent and respectful.

The success of a ceremony is measured not only by the illustrious personalities present or the grandeur of the proceedings, but also by the quality of its organization and the dignity accorded to its participants.
The Supreme Court represents the top of our judicial hierarchy. Its ceremonies should reflect the discipline, order and professionalism expected from institutions of justice.

When the organization fails, the embarrassment is visible; when it succeeds, the dignity of the institution is preserved.

I personally find this incident unfortunate and sincerely hope that it remains an isolated event in the history of the award of the rank of Senior Lawyer of Nigeria.
Repeated experiences of this nature may discourage older silks from participating in future ceremonies. This would be regrettable, as their presence enriches the occasion and strengthens bonds between generations of legal professionals.

This moment should serve as a time for reflection rather than recrimination. The Office of the Revered CJN, the organizers and BOSAN should work to ensure that the shortcomings responsible for this unfortunate experience, if found, are decisively addressed.

Future ceremonies will need to be planned with the foresight, coordination and attention to detail they deserve. No invited Senior Advocate should be left out of an event celebrating the profession due to avoidable organizational errors.

Older silks deserve respect. The new silks deserve a dignified welcome. The Bench and the Bar Association deserve ceremonies that reflect their professional standing and institutional relevance.

Let this be the last time such an unfortunate incident occurs. May future award ceremonies be remembered for their dignity, excellent organization and professional friendship, not for the embarrassment of those who have come to honor the new silks and the opening of the new legal year.
Enough said!

Dr. MO Ubani, SAN is a legal professional and public affairs commentator.

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