Senators, House of Representatives members and members of other
legislative houses in the country who are lawyers, on Monday intensified their
desire to be conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria,
SAN.
The desire also affects all lawyers working in legislative
houses in various capacities.
Besides claiming that they worked harder than judicial
officers, the lawmakers argued that regular lawyers and other legal
practitioners were not better qualified for the rank than the legislators.
The members pressed for the recognition during the inaugural
meeting of “The Forum of Lawyers in the Nigerian Legislature”, held at the
National Assembly in Abuja.
Convener of the forum, Senator Ita Enang, while speaking for
the group, said since the lawyers in the legislature participated in passing
all the laws used for legal practice in the country, they were qualified for
the rank of SAN.
Enang, a former Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and
Business, stated that it was an “insult” to say somebody who made a law was not
qualified to become a SAN, while another person who practised it could become
one.
He spoke more, “It is an insult not to make legislature
lawyers SANs.
“They make laws that the magistrate interprets and makes his
way to the Supreme Court. Yet, you say that a lawmaker is not qualified to be
honoured with the rank of SAN.
“The legislator is not qualified but the lawyer who
practises the law passed by the legislature is qualified.
“Legislative practice is an arm of legal practice and should
be recognised as such.
“It is the legislature and the legislator that know the laws
more than the practitioners because they draft the laws.
“All the laws that practitioners practise and they are
celebrated and honoured are passed by the legislature, but you say that same
legislator is not qualified to be a SAN.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara,
told the session that the aim of the forum was to promote the productivity of
lawyers in the legislature through capacity-building programmes.
Dogara, who is a lawyer, was represented by another member
and lawyer from Abia State, Mr. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta.
He added, “The association is to promote cooperation,
networking and interaction among its members.
“Develop legislative practice as an enviable area of legal
practice in Nigeria.”
The speaker said having been informed that there were about
200 lawyers at the National Assembly, he was convinced that the forum should
transit “to a well established association.”
Copyright PUNCH.
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