Benue Judiciary Approves Lawyers’ Appearance Fees Hike

The Benue State Judiciary has announced an upward review of the appearance fees for legal practitioners in the state from N2,500 to N10,000 per sitting.

In a November 10 letter to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Makurdi Branch, the Chief Judge, Justice M.A Ikpambese granted formal approval for the 400% increment to take effect January 1, 2024.

Justice Ikpambese explained that the decision aims at “fair compensation for lawyers” in the state while applying uniformly across all Benue courts.

The NBA Makurdi branch had initiated the request for increased appearance fees in May this year. Its chairman, Barr. Justine Gbagir, thanked the Chief Judge for considering their plea to improve lawyers’ earnings.

Some Abuja-based Benue legal practitioners lauded the move, describing it as a “morale booster”. They urged the judiciary heads in other states to consider raising court appearance charges which mostly remain very minimal currently.

Benue judiciary’s approval will likely stir calls for unified nationwide rules on payments to lawyers providing legal representation, consultancy and other professional services in the country.