The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has been ordered by a federal high court sitting in Abuja to register a new association for lawyers in the country.

Justice Gladys Olotu gave the judgement after some lawyers identified as Bolaji Ayorinde, Mela Nunge, Garba Gajam, Emeka Ichoku, Chioma Ferguson, and Tejumola Adigun, sued the CAC over its failure to register their association as a legal practitioner body in the country.

The plaintiffs who stated that the names considered for registration as a body of lawyers were not similar to that of the Nigerian Bar Association and cannot mislead the public, reportedly submitted the names “Nigerian Law Society,” “Nigerian Bar Society,” “Nigerian Lawyers’ Society” and “Association of Legal Practitioners of Nigeria” to the CAC.

Justice Olotu who ruled in favour of the plaintiffs, held that the right to peaceful assembly and association, guaranteed under Section 40 of the Constitution, Article 10 of the ACHPR, and Article 20 of the UDHR cover the kind of association they plan to register.