Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Paul Harris Ogbole, has described the Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration Order 2023 as a transformative framework capable of redefining the future of legal practice and strengthening lawyer–client relationships in Nigeria.
Ogbole spoke in a goodwill message at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Damaturu Branch Congress Meeting held today, Saturday, 20 December 2025, at High Court No. 3, Damaturu.
He noted that the Remuneration Order should not be seen as a routine administrative instrument, but as a deliberate professional reform designed to correct years of unregulated fee bargaining that eroded ethical standards and diminished the value of legal services.
According to him, the Order introduces much-needed clarity, predictability, and fairness into legal engagements.
The senior advocate explained that by providing a structured framework for legal fees, the 2023 Order recalibrates the lawyer client relationship, protects clients from arbitrary billing, and shields practitioners particularly young lawyers, from exploitation.
He added that proper implementation of the Order would enhance transparency, reduce disputes, and strengthen public confidence in the legal profession.
Ogbole further stated that sustainable justice delivery depends largely on the economic independence of lawyers, stressing that fair remuneration enables practitioners to offer competent, fearless, and ethical representation.
He emphasized that the future relevance of the Nigerian Bar will be determined by its collective commitment to upholding the Remuneration Order as a professional standard rather than a discretionary guide.
Commending the NBA Damaturu Branch for hosting a timely and forward-looking Congress, Ogbole also lauded the Continuing Legal Education session led by Chief Emeka Obegolu, SAN, Chairman of the NBA Remuneration Committee, describing it as a critical engagement with issues central to the survival and dignity of legal practice.
He concluded by urging members of the Bar to internalise the principles of the 2023 Remuneration Order, noting that doing so would reinforce professional ethics, promote fairness in legal service delivery, and secure the long-term integrity of the Nigerian legal profession.
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