By Micah Jonah
February 12, 2026
The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee has disowned the introduction and use of a purported title known as “Blue Silk” within sections of the legal community, declaring that it does not recognize such rank.
In a statement issued on Thursday, signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Akanbi, the committee said its attention had been drawn to the introduction and recent use of the designation within certain quarters of the legal profession.
The LPPC, a statutory body established under the Legal Practitioners Act and responsible for conferring the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stressed that the SAN title remains the highest professional distinction for lawyers in the country.
Akanbi stated that the rank of SAN “remains the highest mark of professional distinction for legal practitioners in Nigeria and is awarded strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Legal Practitioners Act and the Guidelines issued by the LPPC.”
He added that the committee does not recognize any parallel or intermediate rank.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the LPPC does not recognize any parallel, intermediate, or alternative rank styled as ‘Blue Silk’ or by any other nomenclature purporting to suggest official status, hierarchy, or recognition within the legal profession,” the statement read.
The committee noted that the introduction or use of such a title has no statutory backing and does not emanate from the LPPC or any authority recognised under the Legal Practitioners Act.
It warned that lawyers who create or parade themselves with the disputed title could be in breach of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023.
“The LPPC views the actions of legal practitioners involved in the establishment of such purported ranks, as well as individuals who present or parade themselves as ‘Blue Silks,’ as conduct that may amount to violations of the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct,” the statement added.
Akanbi further disclosed that at its meeting held on February 12, 2026, the committee resolved to take appropriate steps in line with its statutory mandate to preserve the integrity of the legal profession and the sanctity of the SAN rank.
The LPPC reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the integrity, prestige and exclusivity of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, pledging to continue discharging its responsibilities strictly in accordance with the law.
