Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, on Monday asked the newly inaugurated Senior Advocates of Nigeria to help the court attain justice.

The CJN, who also urged them to espouse impeccable standard of diligence, integrity and discipline, gave the charge after swearing in 16 out of the newly appointed 17 SANs at the Supreme Court in Abuja.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, which is chaired by the CJN, had announced the names of 17 successful lawyers, out of the 132 that applied for the rank this year.

But one of them, Dr. Olu Onagoruwa, who is a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, was absent at the swearing in ceremony on Monday.

Justice Mukhtar, during the special court session for the inauguration and the marking of the commencement of the new 2014/2015 legal year, later announced that Onagoruwa would be sworn in Tuesday (today).

Those who were sworn in on Monday were Prof. Josah Amupitan, Olusola Idowu, Dr. Ernest Ojukwu, Ahamefula Ejelam, Chike Onyemenam, Tawo Eja Tawo, Olatunde Adejuyigbe and Sylvanus Ogwemmoh.

Others were Dr. Adewale Olawoyin, Dr. Joshua Olatoke, Teslim Busari, Kevin Nwufo, Dr. Amuda-Kannike Abiodun, Oluwakemi Balogun, Hakeem Afolabi and Gerald Ezeuko.

The CJN urged the new SANs to maintain high ethical standards expected of them as a bearer of their new rank.

“A Senior Advocate of Nigeria plays a critical role in the legal profession. He is to assist the courts attain justice and in doing so, must espouse an impeccable standard of diligence, integrity, discipline and demonstrate the highest standard of advocacy,” she added.

She said the SAN rank “comes with great responsibility” though the rank had been conferred on the recipients as “a culmination of years of dedicated service, brilliant performance in advocacy and an illustrious career at the bar.”

The new SANs are to join 391 lawyers both living and dead who had been conferred with the rank since its inception in 1975.

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