Nigerian Law Society Demands Unconditional Pass F ppor 2026 Bar Examinations

The Nigerian Law Society (NLS) has called on the Nigerian Law School to grant an “unconditional pass” to candidates who were awarded a “conditional pass” in the 2026 Bar Resit Examination.

The demand was contained in a petition addressed to the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School and the Chairman of the Council of Legal Education. The letter, dated August 15, 2026, was signed by the NLS President, Ambassador Dahiru Aliyu, SCN.

The association’s request followed the grading of some candidates, including Patrick Chijioke Okwaranoshie, as having obtained a “conditional pass” in the 2026 resit examination.

Faulting the classification, the NLS said the conditional-pass system was abolished around 2020 under a previous administration of the Nigerian Law School following the introduction of a new grading framework based substantially on cumulative performance.

“The Nigerian Law Society has been informed that Mr. Patrick Chijioke Okwaranoshie and other candidates who sat for the 2026 Resit Examination have been graded as having obtained a ‘conditional pass,” the petition stated.

The association said the continued use of the classification may be inconsistent with the grading framework reportedly introduced after the abolition of the conditional-pass system.

It, therefore, urged the Council of Legal Education and the Nigerian Law School to urgently review the results of candidates classified as having obtained a conditional pass and grant them an unconditional pass where they have met the applicable requirements.

The NLS also requested clarification on the legal and administrative basis for the current use of the “conditional pass” classification, particularly in light of its reported abolition in 2020.

The association said the matter was significant beyond the immediate academic consequences for affected candidates, noting that Nigerian Law School examination results have major implications for law graduates’ professional careers and eligibility for Call to the Bar.

The NLS gave the Nigerian Law School seven days to review and correct the grading system, warning that it would otherwise escalate the matter to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for intervention.

It also called for fairness, consistency and transparency in the treatment of all candidates affected by the 2026 Resit Examination.

Meanwhile, the Vice President of the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA), Prof. John Hatchard, has pledged the organisation’s intervention in the dispute following a formal invitation by the NLS.

In a related development, a motion on the “urgent need to address the erroneous award of ‘conditional pass’ in the 2026 Resit Examination of the Nigerian Law School” is before the House of Representatives.

The motion, sponsored by Mamudu Abdullahi, a lawmaker from Niger State, also seeks to address the backlog of more than 4,000 law graduates, particularly graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), who are awaiting admission to the Nigerian Law School.

It further calls for the protection of the autonomy of professional rankings under Nigerian law and seeks to prevent the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) from interfering with the conferment of the Blue Silks rank, introduced as an alternative to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title.

The motion expressed concern over the shortage of qualified lawyers in Nigeria, putting the number of lawyers who have graduated from the Nigerian Law School and are qualified to practise in courts at between 200,000 and 213,000.

It said the figure was inadequate compared  to the internationally recommended ratio of one lawyer to approximately 300 citizens and Nigeria’s estimated population of about 240 million.

According to the lawmakers, the shortage of legal practitioners contributes to limited access to justice, while the situation is further worsened by the continued failure to admit more than 4,000 law graduates, many of whom have reportedly been waiting since around 2020.

The motion also questioned the continued application of the “conditional pass” grade in the 2026 Bar Examination, saying it appeared inconsistent with the grading framework reportedly introduced after the system was abolished in 2020.

It consequently urged the Nigerian Law School to immediately grant an “unconditional pass” to all candidates who sat for the 2026 Resit Examination and were “erroneously graded as conditional pass” after meeting the applicable requirements.