WHEN THE CHILD CAN’T CONSENT: ESABUNOR V FAWEYA AND THE BEST INTERESTS PRINCIPLE IN NIGERIAN LAW | Lydia Ehisuoria Ohonsi, Esq.
Lydia Ehisuoria Ohonsi, Esq. Alternate-Chair, NBA Lagos Branch Human Rights Committee. Abstract In Esabunor & Anor v Faweya & Ors , the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in a lead judgment delivered by Rhodes-Vivour JSC on 8 March 2019, dismissed the appeal of the parents of an infant whose life-saving blood transfusion had been authorised by a Chief Magistrate over their religious objection. The Court held that where a competent parent or person in loco parentis refuses blood transfusion or other medical treatment for a child on religio…
NAVIGATING THE JURISDICTIONAL CONUNDRUM: THE LPDC APPEAL CRISIS AND THE ALADEJOBI WATERSHED | LYDIA EHISUORIA OHONSI, ESQ.
LYDIA EHISUORIA OHONSI, ESQ. Abstract The legal profession in Nigeria is anchored on stringent ethical standards, with the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) serving as the primary statutory tribunal for the adjudication of professional misconduct. However, the appellate framework for challenging the directions of the LPDC has degenerated into a profound crisis, characterised by statutory contradictions, a resultant jurisdictional vacuum, and significant constitutional implications. At the heart of this crisis is the conflict …
ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S CONSENT AND THE STATUS OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA IN GARNISHEE PROCEEDINGS: ANTECEDENT CONTROVERSY, CURRENT REALITIES AND THE LIDAN ENGINEERING WATERSHED | Lydia Ehisuoria Ohonsi, LL.B., BL
Lydia Ehisuoria Ohonsi, LL.B., BL The enforcement of monetary judgments against the Nigerian Federal Government and its agencies has long been bedevilled by the consent requirement embedded in Section 84 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act, Cap. S6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (SCPA). At the heart of this legal struggle is the question of whether the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) qualifies as a ‘public officer’ under that provision, which would necessitate obtaining prior consent from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) …
UKEJE v. UKEJE AND THE ANTECEDENT REALITIES OF THE GIRL CHILD ON INHERITANCE IN NIGERIA: A LEGAL ANALYSIS | LYDIA EHISUORIA OHONSI, ESQ.
LYDIA EHISUORIA OHONSI ESQ. For generations, many Nigerian communities—particularly among the Igbo of South-Eastern Nigeria—have adhered to customary laws that systematically exclude female children from inheritance. Rooted in deep-seated patriarchal traditions, these rules dictated that only male children could succeed to the estate of a father who died without a will. Under this regime, a daughter was often treated as an outsider in her own father’s home, unable to inherit land or personal property simply because of her gender. A Landmark…
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN NBA IKORODU BRANCH, IDRIS KOLAWOLE THANY, ESQ. APPEALS LPDC DIRECTION TO THE SUPREME COURT. ACTIVATES AUTOMATIC STAY TO CONTINUE IN PRACTICE. - By Clementina E. Ukiri, Esq.
PRESS RELEASE! ABUJA, NIGERIA – September 29, 2025 – I.K. Thany & Co. has announced the filing of a comprehensive 12-ground Notice of Appeal at the Supreme Court of Nigeria challenging the two-year suspension imposed on the firm's Principal Partner, Idris K. Thany, Esq., by the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC). The filing of the appeal automatically activates a stay of execution , ensuring Mr. Thany's right to practice remains legally intact until the Supreme Court delivers its final judgment. Sec…
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THE LEGAL PRACTITIONERS' PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE (LPPC) APPROVED THE ELEVATION OF 57 LEGAL PRACTITIONERS TO THE RANK OF SENIOR ADVOCATE OF NIGERIA (SAN).
The Legal Practitioners' Privileges Committee (LPPC), under the distinguished chairmanship of his lordship, the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, GCON, at its 169th plenary session held on Thursday, the 24th of July, 2025, has approved the elevation of 57 (fifty-seven) legal practitioners to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Kindly find attached below a 4-page document of approval.
THERE IS A NEED FOR THE SUPREME COURT TO RETAIN ITS MAJESTY IN ELECTORAL JUSTICE AND PRE-ELECTION MATTERS AND REVISIT THE 180 DAYS POLICY. | Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, SAN.
The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended created three sets of courts in Nigeria to obtain justice. These courts are the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court. In the hierarchy of courts, the Supreme Court is the highest in the land. In election and pre-election matters, appeals from Tribunals and Federal High Courts go to the Court of Appeal and from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court in some cases. The Supreme Court is the highest in Nigeria. The Constitution has allocated time for the adju…
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PROTEST LETTER TO THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA ON THE APPOINTMENT OF JSCs.
Dated 23rd of June, 2022, a protest letter was written by the president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata to the Chief Justice of Nigeria on the appointment of the Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Kindly use the link below to download the letter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Qm82IK1wCmTWv8TFIVD66T1b14dC5bq/view?usp=drivesdk
NBA STATEMENT ON THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AT THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA.
Dear Colleagues, As you may already know, a letter was written by 14 Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, alleging amongst others, several improprieties and administrative inefficiencies that have affected their judicial responsibilities and impacted the administration of justice in Nigeria. Kindly find attached, a statement by the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, calling for a resolution of the issues and advocating for the independence and financial autonomy of the Judiciary, while demanding th…
