The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Remuneration Committee has formally called on Honourable Commissioners for Lands across all 36 states of Nigeria to strictly enforce compliance with the Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration Order 2023 during the processing of legal instruments at state land registries.
The Remuneration Order, which came into effect on May 16, 2023, was signed by the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice in his capacity as Chairman of the Legal Practitioners Remuneration Committee, pursuant to the Legal Practitioners Act (Cap L11, LFN 2004).
According to a letter jointly signed by the Chairman of the NBA Remuneration Committee, Chief Emeka Obegolu, SAN, and the Secretary, Rachael Princewill, the Order provides a standardized framework for determining professional fees for legal practitioners, especially in relation to property transactions and legal advisory services.
While acknowledging the crucial role of state land registries in land administration, the Committee expressed concern over the observed inconsistencies in adherence to the Order. Specifically, the letter cited frequent discrepancies between the year of execution on legal documents and the year indicated on the seal of legal practitioners, which undermines the credibility of documentation and enforcement of the Order.
To address these challenges, the NBA Remuneration Committee has recommended two key enforcement measures:
Uniform Year of Execution and Seal: Legal instruments submitted for registration must show the same year on both the document’s execution date and the legal practitioner’s seal. Documents with mismatched years should be rejected and reported to the Committee.
Valid NBA Stamp Requirement: All legal documents must carry recent and valid NBA stamps of the legal practitioner(s) involved to ensure accountability and regulatory compliance.
The letter emphasized the importance of collaboration between land registry officials and the legal profession to uphold transparency, fairness, and integrity within the property documentation process.
“The support of your office in enforcing the 2023 NBA Remuneration Order is vital. Ensuring that all submitted documents reflect the correct year of execution and contain valid NBA stamps will significantly strengthen the implementation of this landmark Order,” the Committee stated.
Chief Emeka Obegolu, SAN, expressed confidence in the proactive response of state land commissioners and their teams, urging them to communicate these directives to all relevant staff.
The post NBA Writes State Commissioners For Lands, Calls For Enforcement Of 2023 Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration Order In Property Transactions appeared first on Nairalaw.com.