No more "Barrister John Doe" at the Supreme Court, the CJN has officially scrapped it!

So, big shake-up at the apex court!

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has ordered lawyers and court officials to stop using “Barrister” as a title prefix in all official dealings at the Supreme Court.

According to cbinewstv, the directive was contained in a memo dated 13 July 2026, signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir Akanbi, and sighted by CbiNewstv on Friday.

The memo was addressed to litigation staff, legal practitioners, court registrars and lawyers, and it says the ban takes immediate effect.

It reads: “I am directed by the Honourable the Chief Justice of Nigeria to notify all Litigation Staff, Legal Practitioners, Court Registrars, and Lawyers that the use of the title ‘Barrister’ as a prefix to names is inappropriate and inconsistent with the standards of professionalism expected within the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”

In simple terms? If you are writing a letter, filing a process, or appearing in any official capacity at the Supreme Court, just use your name. No more “Barrister” before it.

The circular went further: “Consequently, all officers concerned are hereby directed to discontinue the use of the title ‘Barrister’ before their names in all official correspondence, records, documents, identity materials, and any other official engagements with immediate effect.”

And to make sure no one plays deaf, Heads of Departments and Unit Heads have been asked to enforce strict compliance.

This is coming just weeks after the Council of Legal Education warned law graduates not to wear wigs and gowns or parade themselves as lawyers before being formally called to Bar, a move it said undermines the dignity of the profession.

Moral of the story: at the Supreme Court, let your practice speak, not your prefix.

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