The Legal Practitioners Act CAP L11 LFN 2004, which is the main legislation that sets down the guidelines and regulations for the legal profession in Nigeria may soon be repealed come December 1, 2017.
There is currently a bill titled “A Bill for an Act to repeal the Legal Practitioners Act Cap C11 LFN 2004 and all amendments thereto; Legal Education (Consolidation etc.,) Act Cap. L10 LFN 2004 and enact the Legal Profession Regulation Act which shall regulate the legal profession” (the Bill) seeking to repeal the Legal Practitioners Act.
The Bill seeks to merge the Legal Practitioners Act and the Legal Education (Consolidation) Act Cap. L10 LFN 2004 into one Act titled “the Legal Profession Regulation Act”.
The Bill also seeks to establish a ‘Legal Profession Regulation Council of Nigeria’ (the Council), a Secretariat for the Council as well as various other committees such as; body of benchers, legal services, young lawyers and career committee, the remuneration and welfare committee, ethics and standards committee to mention but a few.
The Council would be responsible for the general regulation of the legal profession in Nigeria.
The Bill also touches on matters of remuneration and taxation of legal practitioners and such other ancillary matters.