Computation Of Post Call Years: Chief Registrar Of The Supreme Court Enters Appearance And States Position.

The Chambers of O.J Onoja, SAN & Associates, has entered appearance and filed its processes in response to the suit filed by a Lagos based lawyer, Olumide Babalola, challenging the controversy surrounding the computation of “post-call year”.

In the Suit obtained by the ThgeNigerialawyer, marked. FHC/ABJ/925/2018 between Olumide Babalola and Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, the applicant is seeking a DECLARATION that, the phrase “post call” used in the Legal Practitioners Act and the Legal Practitioners (Bar Practicing Fees) notice exclude the year of call to bar by virtue of the Applicant’s payment of practicing fees for and in the year of his call to bar.

“That upon call to bar, enrollment in the Supreme Court and subsequent payment of the first annual practicing fees, a legal practitioner becomes one year old at the bar.”

“That upon payment of the second practicing fee at the first anniversary of the person’s call to bar, the legal practitioner becomes two years at the bar and the counting and reckoning continue in that order.”

The applicant is further asking the court to restrain the respondent and its officers from including or further the Applicant’s year of call in the computation of his post-call years.

Recall that Olumide Babalola on the 28th August, in a bid to resolve the perennial controversy surrounding computation of post-call years especially for the payment of bar practicing fees, Olumide Babalola has filed a suit at the federal high court sitting in Abuja for the judicial interpretation of the phrase “post call” as repeatedly used in the Legal Practitioners Act.

He is seeking an interpretation of section 8(3) of the Legal Practitioners’ Act and Legal Practitioners (Bar Practicing Fees) Notice vis a vis the phrase – “Post Call”.

The plaintiff also seeks an interpretation that the phrase “Post Call” excludes the year of call since a lawyer cannot clock one year immediately after his call to bar.

The suit comes up on the 10th day of December 2018 for hearing.