The Nigerian Law Society (NLS) and the Body of Senior Counsel of Nigeria (BOSCON) say they have the autonomy to confer the rank of senior counsel of Nigeria (SCN), also known as the Blue Silk rank, on eligible lawyers.
The statement was signed by Dahiru Aliyu, president of the NLS on behalf of the governing councils of both
the NLS and BOSCON.
The statement comes months after the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) warned lawyers against using the “Blue Silk” designation, insisting that the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) remains the only statutorily recognised rank for legal practitioners under the Legal Practitioners Act.
In the statement, the organisations said the application, assessment and conferment of the Blue Silk rank are governed exclusively by their internal rules and regulations and are beyond the control of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the LPPC or any government institution.
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“NLS and BOSCON reiterate that no individual, institution or government agency has the authority to interfere with the application, assessment and conferment process of the Senior Counsel of Nigeria (Blue Silk),” the statement reads.
The groups said their position aligns with the NBA’s insistence that the attorney-general of the federation cannot interfere in the association’s internal affairs, including the conduct of its elections.
NLS and BOSCON also cited a judgement delivered by Mohammed Umar, judge of a federal high court, on January 27, 2026, which they said affirmed that the Blue Silk initiative was not created under the Legal Practitioners Act.
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According to the organisations, the court held that since the Blue Silk rank is not a creation of the Act, it cannot be subjected to the regulatory oversight of the LPPC or any statutory body established under the Act.
The groups added that the initiative is intended to recognise excellence among lawyers in non-contentious practice areas.
“The conferment of the Blue Silks rank of Senior Counsel of Nigeria-SCN upon members of both the Nigerian Law Society-NLS is 100% internal affairs of the Nigerian Law Society-NLS using the criteria of 35 verifiable non-litigation transactions as assessed by the Body of Senior Counsel of Nigeria (BOSCON),” they said.
“None of the candidates are coerced into application for the Blue Silks rank of Senior Counsel of Nigeria-SCN, each candidate submits an application out of their own voluntary, free will and pays the prescribed relevant fees out of the firm conviction that the Blue Silks rank of Senior Counsel of Nigeria-SCN is a credible rank of legal excellence for non-litigation Nigerian lawyers.”
They said the assessment process focuses on corporate and commercial practice and other areas of legal practice that are not traditionally recognised under the SAN framework.
The organisations maintained that the Blue Silk rank complements, rather than competes with, the SAN rank.
In February, the LPPC warned lawyers against adopting or parading themselves under the Blue Silk designation, saying the Senior Advocate of Nigeria remains the only professional rank recognised under Nigerian law.
The committee said the Blue Silk designation lacks statutory backing and cautioned that lawyers who use it could expose themselves to disciplinary consequences under the rules of professional conduct.
