To: The Chief Registrars,
All Courts in Nigeria
Dear Chief Registrar,
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Remuneration Committee respectfully draws your attention to the Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration Order 2023 (the “Order”), which came into effect on 16 May 2023.
The Order was duly signed by the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice in his capacity as Chairman of the Legal Practitioners Remuneration Committee pursuant to the Legal Practitioners Act (Cap L11, LFN 2004). It provides a standardized legal framework for the fair, transparent, and consistent remuneration of legal practitioners across Nigeria.
The Remuneration Order is binding and regulates professional fees for legal services rendered by legal practitioners. It is critical that this Order be observed and enforced by all relevant judicial and administrative bodies to ensure the dignity of the profession and the delivery of quality legal services.
We write to solicit the support and cooperation of your office in ensuring full compliance and implementation of the provisions of the Remuneration Order within your jurisdiction. Specifically, we request the following:
- Recognition of the Order in Court Proceedings:
Judicial officers, court staff, and registries should give appropriate weight to the Order when dealing with matters that involve legal fees or costs awarded for legal services. - Administrative Compliance:
Court processes involving fees charged by lawyers—particularly in cost assessments, taxation of bills of costs, or judicial pronouncements on legal fees—should reflect the minimum standards set out in the Order. - Rejection of Non-Compliant Documents:
Court officials should be instructed to scrutinize filings involving legal representation to ensure compliance with the Order, including confirmation of valid and current NBA stamp and seal usage.
Your leadership is pivotal in promoting a more accountable and professional legal framework. As Chief Registrar, we urge you to issue directives that will ensure awareness and enforcement of the 2023 Remuneration Order at all levels within the courts under your supervision.
We look forward to your kind cooperation and thank you for your unwavering commitment to the rule of law, institutional integrity, and the continued support of the legal profession in Nigeria.
Yours faithfully,
CHIEF EMEKA OBEGOLU, PhD., SAN
Chair, NBA Remuneration Committee
RACHAEL PRINCEWILL
Secretary
