The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued a decisive ruling restraining Dr. Tonye Jaja, the Association of Lawyers in Defence of Rank and Privileges (ALDRAP), and other promoters of the controversial “Blue Silk” designation from conferring or parading the title within Nigeria.
Delivering judgment, Hon. Justice James Omotosho held that the “Blue Silk” rank lacks any statutory foundation under the Legal Practitioners Act. The Court affirmed that only the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) is vested with the exclusive statutory authority to confer the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
In addition, the Court granted a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from conferring the “Blue Silk” title or any similar designation on legal practitioners outside the framework recognised by law.
The ruling comes after months of controversy within the Nigerian legal profession, during which the LPPC and the Nigerian Bar Association repeatedly cautioned that the “Blue Silk” rank had no statutory recognition and undermined the integrity of the profession.
By this judgment, the Court has now provided judicial clarity: no individual, association, or group has the legal competence to create or confer a parallel professional rank for lawyers outside the provisions of the Legal Practitioners Act. The decision reinforces the LPPC’s exclusive authority and safeguards the sanctity of the SAN title as the only legally recognised professional rank for advocates in Nigeria.
... Federal High Court Bars “Blue Silk” Rank, Affirms LPPC’s Exclusive Authority to Confer SAN Title ... Naijaonpoint.