On August 10, the Federal High Court in Abuja invalidated the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malamiunilateral ,'s change to the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) for lawyers in Nigeria.
Through its former vice-president, Monday Ubani, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) filed the lawsuit contesting Mr. Malami's revision to the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) for lawyers.
By himself, Mr. Malami changed the rules of the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) in 2020, removing the requirement that attorneys use the NBA seal and stamp.
He also got rid of the rules requiring attorneys working for the government, ministries, or businesses to pay annual bar fees.
The stamp and seal, by the rules, are required to be affixed to any document signed by lawyers for such a document to be accorded a recognition with lawyer’s imprimatur.
Apart from helping to check quackery, the stamp and seal are also a major source of revenue for the NBA, besides the practising fees paid by lawyers.
Lawyers had criticised the AGF’s action expunging the relevant provisions from the rules, saying it is an attempt to weaken the NBA.
In his judgement on the NBA’s suit, the judge, Donatus Okorowo, declared the AGF’s amendment of the rules “illegal and invalid.”
He declared that only the General Council of the Bar which has the authority to amend the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) is constituted by several members, and the rules cannot, therefore, be legitimately amended by the singular desire and action of an individual.