The Nigerian Senate has formalized the Legal Practitioners Bill, 2025 (SB. 965), in its Extraordinary Journal No. 22, Volume 22, dated November 26, 2025, signaling a major push to overhaul the nation’s legal profession.
This Senate Bill seeks to repeal the antiquated Legal Practitioners Act, Cap L11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (originally enacted in 1962), and enact a modern Legal Practitioners Act to introduce comprehensive reforms, regulate professional conduct, and enhance accountability within the bar.
The bill, spanning pages C787 to C823 in the journal, was listed alongside several amendments to the Federal Medical Centres Act, 2022, for new facilities across states including Borno, Gombe, Kogi, Kaduna, Jigawa, and Ebonyi. While the executive transmission by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu occurred on November 25 with first readings in both chambers, this publication captures the unaltered Senate copy for committee scrutiny, underscoring the legislative momentum toward aligning Nigeria’s legal framework with contemporary global standards.
(BILLS 2025- LEGAL PRACTITIONERS BILL- SENATE.)
Drawn directly from the published draft, the bill establishes a forward-looking regulatory architecture:
This Senate copy, faithful to the executive’s vision yet poised for amendments, responds to Nigerian Bar Association calls for integrity restoration and access to justice. Upon passage, it will be cited as the Legal Practitioners Act, 2025, potentially transforming the profession’s credibility and efficiency.
Note: This is the official Senate copy of the Legal Practitioners Bill, 2025 (SB. 965), as published in the National Assembly Journal Extraordinary No. 22, Vol. 22, Abuja – 26 November 2025, prior to substantive legislative review.
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