The Supreme Court of Nigeria has directed litigation staff, legal practitioners, court registrars and lawyers to discontinue the use of the title “Barrister” as a prefix to their names in all official engagements.
The directive was contained in a memorandum dated July 13, 2026, and signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir Akanbi.
According to the memorandum, the Chief Registrar said he was acting on the directive of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who instructed that the use of “Barrister” before names was inappropriate and inconsistent with the standards of professionalism expected within the Supreme Court.
The memorandum stated that all affected officers must immediately stop using the title “Barrister” before their names in official correspondence, court records, documents, identity materials and other official engagements.
The directive covers all litigation staff, legal practitioners, court registrars and lawyers who deal with the Supreme Court.
The Chief Registrar also directed Heads of Departments and Unit Heads to ensure strict compliance with the directive by all officers under their supervision.
