The Truth About Lawyers Stamps-Don't Be Deceived– Anthony Atata

The requirement of affixing stamps by lawyers is pursuant to the Legal Practitioners’ Act 2007 and not the Rules of Professional conduct as some candidates are misleading lawyers What that means is that affixing stamps is a requirement of the Law not a creation of the NBA. WHY STAMPS EXPIRE: After a lawyer is called to the bar, he is further required to pay his bar practicing fee every year to renew his license then a stamp is issued to enable the lawyer authenticate his documents and processes signed by him/her that year. Good. If a lawyer does not pay his practicing fee as and when due, he loses his right to practice that year and will be indeed be practicing illegally if he decides to practice. Now, if he or she has a stamp that does not expire, he will conveniently practice law without renewing his license and that will amount to breaking the extant law of the Federal republic of Nigeria. In view of the above, anyone who tells you that the stamp will not expire is saying that he wants to encourage lawyers who do not pay practicing fee to break the Law unless he is saying that Bar Practicing Fee will not also expire. That is unfortunate. If the stamp must serve its purpose, it must expire and be renewed. WHY YOU CANNOT RECEIVE FREE STAMPS IMMEDIATELY AFTER PAYING PRACTICING FEE: Stamps are post “printed” not pre printed. What that means is that the NBA cannot print everyone’s stamp and wait for them to pay and receive their stamps immediately. The Practicing fee must be paid first to qualify one to practice. Presently, the sum of N4000 is paid for stamps and about 40% of Lawyers abandon their stamps (in Lagos branch) when they come out. What will happen if it is printed free and pre printed. It will amount to waste. Anyone who said free stamps will be issued to you as soon as you pay practicing fee is not PRACTICABLE. Another reason why it is impracticable to issue free stamps upon payment of practicing fees is that the Practicing fees of Lawyers are paid to the supreme court not to the NBA(though subsequently, the NBA is given a SHARE) Note again, practicing fees are paid to the Supreme Court. Can you issue free stamps based on money you are not receiving? Maybe you will immediately go into the treasury to print initial free stamps. Those are the only options available. Are they intelligent options? Paul Usoro has noted that the two big challenges in the stamp regime are the timely delivery and cost. Paul has said that stamps will be produced at the cheapest possible cost and delivered within the shortest possible time. This will be done amongst other ways by printing ALL stamps in Nigeria and not abroad where they are currently “partly”being printed. Paul Usoro cannot deceive you on what is not practicable just because of elections.]]>