The Supreme Court of Nigeria has directed litigation staff, legal practitioners, court registrars, and lawyers to stop using the title “Barrister” as a prefix to their names in all official engagements with immediate effect.
The directive was contained in a memorandum dated 13 July 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 (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who ruled that the use of “Barrister” as a title before names is inappropriate and inconsistent with the standards of professionalism expected within the apex court.
The memorandum directed all affected officers to discontinue the use of the title in official correspondence, court records, documents, identity materials, and every other form of official engagement.
“Consequently, all officers concerned are hereby directed to discontinue the use of the title ‘Barrister’ before their names in all official correspondence, records, documents, identity materials, and any other official engagements with immediate effect,” the memorandum stated.
The directive applies to litigation staff, legal practitioners, court registrars, and lawyers appearing before or dealing with the Supreme Court.
The Chief Registrar also instructed Heads of Departments and Unit Heads to ensure full compliance with the directive by officers under their supervision.
