Only female lawyer on SAN award list loses title

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has reversed its earlier decision to award the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to a Lagos-based female lawyer, Oluwatoyin Ajoke Bashorun.

Bashorun was the only female lawyer on the list of 30 lawyers nominated by the LPPC earlier this year.

The LPPC announced the withdrawal of the title to Mrs. Bashorun in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday. The statement was signed by the committee’s Secretary, Hadizatu Uwani Mustapha.

The statement said the decision to withhold the rank from Mrs. Bashorun was taken at a meeting of the LPPC held yesterday.

The statement was silent on the reason behind the sudden withdrawal of the rank to Mrs. Bashorun. It said investigation on her case was on going.

The statement also did not say why the conferment of the rank on the remaining 29 lawyers, scheduled for September 18 has been shifted.

Part of the statement reads: “Recall that the LPPC announced the nomination for appointment of 30 successful applicants for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. This was after a thorough investigation of petitions against some of the applicants which is governed by Paragraph 12(2) of the LPPC Guidelines, 2016.

“However, after the announcement, more facts have emerged, touching on the eligibility of the otherwise successful applicants.

“Consequent upon that, the LPPC, in an emergency meeting held today, 15th day of September, 2017, has decided to defer the conferment of the rank of SAN on Oluwatoyin Ajoke Bashorun, pending further investigation of her case by a special constituted committee set up by my lord, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, chairman of LPPC.”