A new twist has emerged in the ongoing legal dispute surrounding the controversial “Blue Silks” rank, an alternative legal title introduced by the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) as a counterpart to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) designation.
Two newly identified bodies, the Body of Senior Counsel of Nigeria (BOSCON) and the Nigerian Legal Society (NLS), have announced that they will now assume responsibility for conferring the Blue Silks rank following a court judgment that restrained ALDRAP from continuing the award process.
The development was contained in a statement issued after an emergency meeting of BOSCON held on May 21, 2026, where the group resolved to proceed with the conferment of the rank to qualified legal practitioners.
According to BOSCON, the Blue Silks rank is designed as a recognition of excellence for non-litigation lawyers who meet specific criteria, including a minimum number of verifiable legal transactions or publications.
The group explained that the award would be open to different categories of practitioners, including legislative counsel, legal academics, and corporate counsel.
The controversy stems from an earlier Federal High Court judgment in Abuja which restrained ALDRAP and its executive director from continuing to confer the Blue Silks title, prompting further legal arguments and an appeal challenging the ruling.
ALDRAP has maintained that the judgment was flawed and has filed a notice of appeal, insisting that the court lacked jurisdiction over the matter and should not have issued the restraining order.
Despite the ruling, the association has insisted it would continue to pursue recognition of the Blue Silks rank, arguing that it remains a valid framework for recognising excellence among non-litigating legal professionals.
The Nigerian Legal Society, which has aligned with BOSCON on the initiative, is also positioning itself as an alternative professional body to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which has opposed the emergence of parallel legal titles.
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The development highlights growing divisions within Nigeria’s legal community over professional recognition systems, particularly between traditional litigation-focused rankings and emerging frameworks for non-litigating practitioners.Category
