Hong Kong mirrors Nigeria's SCN, proposes Senior Counsel rank for non-litigation solicitors
Hong Kong is moving to introduce a Senior Counsel rank for non-litigation lawyers, directly mirroring Nigeria's Blue Silks Senior Counsel of Nigeria (SCN) title created as an alternative to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) for solicitors. The Hong Kong Law Society has submitted proposals to amend the Legal Practitioners Ordinance, seeking to allow suitably qualified solicitors with outstanding achievements to be appointed Senior Counsel, citing Nigeria's SCN as precedent.
This development matters because it validates Nigeria's legal reform on the global stage—showing the SCN model is being adopted elsewhere to recognize non-litigation expertise traditionally overlooked in favor of court advocates. However, Nigeria's own SCN implementation faces challenges: the title remains embroiled in a legal battle between the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), which originally created the SCN. Currently, the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) and Body of Senior Counsel of Nigeria (BOSCON) confer the rank.
Countries with similar Senior Counsel ranks include Mauritius, Zambia, India, Bangladesh, Ireland, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Singapore, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. Hong Kong's proposal also aims to change the Chinese translation of 'Solicitor' to better reflect court appearance rights, addressing misconceptions that solicitors only handle paperwork.
For Nigerian lawyers, especially those in non-litigation fields, does this international traction strengthen the SCN's legitimacy amid domestic disputes, or should energy focus on resolving the NBA-ALDRAP conflict to solidify the title's standing?