BY JOHN DANJUMA

The Senate, on Wednesday, advanced major reforms to Nigeria’s legal profession, passing into second reading a bill seeking to amend the Legal Practitioners Act, 2004 and introduce a mandatory two-year pupillage for all newly called lawyers.

The proposed amendment, championed by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, aims to modernise legal practice in Nigeria for the first time in decades and align regulation with global standards seen in the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and Kenya.

Presiding, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, approved the motion for the bill to move to the next stage and mandated the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to conduct a public hearing and return its report within two weeks.

Leading debate on the bill, Bamidele described the current Legal Practitioners Act — enacted nearly 60 years ago — as outdated and misaligned with today’s legal landscape. He noted that the profession now operates in an environment shaped by technology, digital court systems, complex commercial transactions, cross-border disputes and rising demands for accountability and ethical conduct.

The amendment proposes a sweeping restructuring of the Body of Benchers, granting it corporate personality, financial autonomy, a strengthened secretariat, clear rule-making powers and a modernised committee system to oversee standards, discipline and admissions to the Bar.

Addressing gaps in the existing disciplinary system, Bamidele said the bill would overhaul the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) by establishing multiple panels nationwide; empowering the body with clearer sanctioning authority, including suspension and striking-off; mandating publication of disciplinary outcomes; and guaranteeing practitioners the right of appeal to the Supreme Court.

The bill also introduces a new Ethics, Adherence and Enforcement Committee — envisioned as a professional investigative unit with powers to inspect law offices, review records, investigate public complaints and prosecute misconduct cases before the LPDC.

A key innovation is the proposal for a compulsory two-year pupillage period for fresh lawyers, except in special circumstances approved by the Body of Benchers. It also mandates continuing professional development as a condition for licence renewal to ensure ongoing competence.

Other provisions criminalise unauthorised legal practice, set rules for foreign lawyers, reform the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and enhance client protection mechanisms.

Supporting the bill, the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, described it as timely, noting the transformation of legal practice over the last three decades. “We are in a digital age. Our laws must reflect today’s realities,” he said.