President Bola Tinubu has transmitted the Legal Practitioners Bill 2025 to the Senate, marking a major push to overhaul Nigeria’s legal profession after years of complaints over weak regulation, ethical breaches, and declining professional standards.
The bill was read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who said the proposed law seeks to replace the Legal Practitioners Act of 2004, widely considered outdated and inadequate for modern legal practice.
According to him, the bill is anchored on protecting public interest, strengthening the rule of law, and restoring confidence in legal services.
“It introduces key principles such as integrity, confidentiality, and ethical conduct as the backbone of legal practice,” he said.
The proposed legislation empowers the Legal Practitioner Disciplinary Committee to investigate and sanction erring lawyers, including suspending or striking their names off the roll for professional misconduct.
Other key reforms include a mandatory two-year pupillage for new lawyers, compulsory continuous professional development, standardised licensing procedures, and the use of official stamps and seals to authenticate legal documents.
Legal experts and the Nigerian Bar Association have repeatedly argued that the current Act lacks strong enforcement mechanisms and does not adequately address modern realities such as digital practice, cross-border legal services, and heightened ethical expectations.
The Senate has referred the bill to the Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative work, with its report expected within four weeks.
If passed, the Legal Practitioners Bill 2025 is expected to bring Nigeria’s legal sector closer to international standards while introducing stricter controls to ensure justice delivery remains credible and professional across the country.
