By Peter Omopo
The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) 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 recognise any such rank.
In a statement issued on Thursday and 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 recent introduction and use of the designation “Blue Silk” in certain quarters of the profession.
The LPPC, a statutory body established under the Legal Practitioners Act and responsible for conferring the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stressed that the SAN title remains the highest professional distinction for legal practitioners in the country.
According to Akanbi, 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 stated unequivocally that the committee does not recognise any parallel or alternative rank to SAN.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the LPPC does not recognise 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 further emphasised that the introduction, conferment, 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 advised members of the legal profession and the general public to take note of its position, warning that lawyers who create or parade themselves with the disputed title may be in breach of professional rules.
“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 for Legal Practitioners 2023,” the statement added.
Akanbi disclosed that at its meeting held on February 12, 2026, the LPPC resolved to take appropriate steps within its statutory mandate to preserve the integrity of the legal profession and the sanctity of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Reaffirming its commitment, the committee said it would continue to uphold the integrity, prestige, and exclusivity of the SAN rank in strict compliance with the law.
