I contend that the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (RPC) 2023, including the mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement, are valid, binding, and enforceable.
Non-compliance with these rules lawfully restricts a lawyer’s right to practice law here in our obodo Nija.
The RPC 2023 was validly enacted under Section 12(4) of the Legal Practitioners Act (LPA), which grants the General Council of the Bar (comprising the Attorney-General of the Federation and state Attorneys-General) the authority to regulate the conduct of legal practitioners.
As such, the rules, including the CPD mandate, carry the force of law.
The mandatory CPD requirement under Rule 12(3) of the RPC 2023 is constitutional and enforceable. Lawyers who fail to comply are not in “good standing” and are therefore barred from practicing law or using the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) stamp.
Contrary to claims that CPD enforcement infringes on constitutional rights, the NBA’s actions are a lawful regulatory measure aimed at upholding professional standards. Denying a practicing license to non-compliant lawyers does not violate the constitutional right to access justice or fair hearing.
While the Constitution guarantees the right to counsel of one’s choice, this does not extend to lawyers who fail to meet statutory requirements.
The right to practice law is a privilege conditioned on compliance with professional regulations, not an absolute constitutional entitlement.
So I enjoin you all to start buying data to attend webinars.
Olajide Abiodun, Np.
VC NBA Ikd Branch
Chairman BOVC.
