Chief Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, SAN, has charged members of the incoming Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Class of 2026, to see their elevation to the Inner Bar not merely as a mark of prestige, but as a call to greater courage, integrity, professional independence and service to justice.
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Okutepa, in a message to the incoming Senior Advocates ahead of their formal swearing-in on Monday, October 12, 2026, congratulated the legal practitioners on attaining what he described as a remarkable professional achievement and recognition of their contributions to the development of the legal profession.
He, however, cautioned that beyond the prestige, privileges and celebrations associated with the rank lies a much greater responsibility to justify the confidence reposed in them through exceptional professional integrity, moral courage, independence of judgment and an uncompromising commitment to justice.
According to him, Nigeria is passing through a difficult period in its constitutional and democratic development, with public confidence in institutions increasingly challenged by corruption, abuse of power, disregard for due process and the perception that justice is more readily available to the privileged than to ordinary citizens.
“At such a time, Nigeria does not merely need more Senior Advocates. Nigeria needs Senior Advocates who will stand for something greater than themselves, their clients, their political connections and their financial interests,” Okutepa said.
He warned that the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria must never become a symbol of proximity to power, an instrument for intimidating opponents or a professional licence to justify illegality.
“The rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria must never become a symbol of proximity to power, an instrument for intimidating opponents or a professional licence to justify illegality. It must remain a badge of honour earned through excellence and sustained through integrity,” he said.
Setting out what he described as his practical charge to the new Senior Advocates, Okutepa urged them, first, to defend the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession and never allow political considerations, financial inducements or personal relationships to compromise their professional judgment.
He asked them to speak out respectfully but courageously against interference with judicial independence, intimidation of judicial officers and any conduct capable of undermining public confidence in the administration of justice.
He also urged the incoming SANs to make access to justice a personal professional responsibility by undertaking deserving pro bono cases annually, particularly for indigent Nigerians, widows, elderly persons, persons with disabilities and victims of oppression.
“Let those who cannot afford your professional fees nevertheless feel the positive impact of your elevation. Justice must not become the exclusive privilege of those who can pay for it,” he said.
Okutepa further challenged the new Senior Advocates to reject the misuse of legal procedures to frustrate justice, stressing that as leaders of the Bar, they must set examples in responsible advocacy.
He urged them not to deploy frivolous applications, unnecessary adjournments, deliberate procedural obstruction or other unethical tactics merely to prolong litigation, insisting that the duty owed to clients must always be discharged within the boundaries of professional ethics and the overriding obligation to the administration of justice.
The senior lawyer also called on the incoming SANs to deliberately mentor and develop younger lawyers, particularly practitioners struggling to establish themselves professionally.
According to him, they should teach younger lawyers advocacy, legal research, courtroom discipline, ethical responsibility and the dignity of independent legal practice.
“The greatness of the Inner Bar must be reflected in the quality of the Outer Bar it helps to develop,” he said.
Okutepa also warned the new silks against rationalising wrongdoing simply because it benefits powerful interests, drawing a distinction between fearlessly defending a client’s legal rights and advocating impunity.
He said lawyers are entitled and obligated to defend their clients fearlessly within the law, but must never mislead the courts, unlawfully suppress the truth or lend their professional standing to the subversion of constitutional principles.
He equally urged them to contribute actively to law reform and institutional accountability by using their experience and professional influence to advocate improvements in judicial administration, transparent appointments, effective case management, procedural fairness and timely delivery of justice.
According to him, Senior Advocates should not remain indifferent when institutions established to protect the people are weakened by arbitrariness or abuse of authority.
Okutepa further charged the new SANs to lead by personal example through punctuality in court, courtesy to judicial officers and colleagues, respect for junior lawyers and faithfulness to professional undertakings.
He said particular attention should be paid to the dignity of litigants and witnesses, adding that professional eminence should produce greater humility rather than arrogance or a sense of entitlement.
The senior advocate also challenged the incoming members of the Inner Bar to make their voices count on matters of national importance.
“When constitutionalism is threatened, when democratic rights are endangered, when public institutions disregard the law or when citizens suffer injustice, do not retreat into comfortable silence,” he said.
He maintained that their professional standing places a greater responsibility on them to contribute constructively towards defending Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
Going beyond the swearing-in ceremony, Okutepa urged each member of the Class of 2026 to adopt a personal programme of professional service and accountability and to assess, before their first anniversary in the Inner Bar, what difference their elevation had made.
He asked them to consider how many indigent Nigerians had benefited from their professional services without charge, how many young lawyers they had deliberately mentored, and what concrete contribution they had made towards reducing delays and improving the administration of justice.
He also urged them to examine whether they had maintained their professional independence when confronted with political, financial or personal pressure and whether their conduct, advocacy and public interventions had strengthened or diminished confidence in the legal profession.
“These questions are not intended to diminish the honour you have earned. They are intended to remind you that the true value of professional distinction lies in the responsibilities faithfully discharged after the honour has been conferred,” Okutepa said.
He stressed that the Inner Bar must never become “a comfortable association of privileged lawyers” who are indifferent to the suffering of the people or the deterioration of institutions upon which justice depends.
According to him, the legal profession occupies a unique position in preserving constitutional democracy, warning that when lawyers surrender their independence, institutions of justice become vulnerable.
“When Senior Advocates choose convenience over conscience, the profession’s moral authority weakens.
“But when the leaders of the Bar demonstrate courage, integrity and fidelity to constitutional principles, they become powerful instruments for national renewal,” he said.
Okutepa challenged the Class of 2026 to become a generation of Senior Advocates remembered not merely for professional achievements but for measurable contributions to justice, institutional integrity and the restoration of public confidence in the Nigerian legal system.
He reminded the incoming SANs that the silk they would wear should not be regarded as a crown conferring superiority over other lawyers, but as a visible reminder of the higher standards of professional conduct expected of them.
“As you take your oaths, remember that the silk you wear is not a crown of superiority over other lawyers. It is a visible reminder of the higher standards of professional conduct expected of you,” he said.
He concluded with a call on the incoming Senior Advocates to resist political patronage, the attraction of wealth and every attempt to turn advocacy into an instrument of oppression.
“May your professional independence never be traded for political patronage. May your integrity never be compromised by the attraction of wealth. May your advocacy never become an instrument of oppression. And may your voices never be absent when justice and constitutional democracy require courageous defenders.
“Let your silk speak for the voiceless, defend the vulnerable, restrain the powerful within the boundaries of the law and inspire the next generation of Nigerian lawyers.
“Congratulations to the incoming Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Class of 2026. May history remember you not merely for attaining the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, but for the courage, integrity and service with which you justified that distinction,” Okutepa said.
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