Senate Passes Legal Practitioners and Proceeds of Crime Recovery Amendment Bills

The Senate on Thursday passed two major bills: the Legal Practitioners Act Repeal and Re-enactment Bill 2026 and the Proceeds of Crime Recovery and Management Amendment Bill 2026.

The bills were passed after the Senate considered reports from the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, chaired by Sen. Adeniyi Adegbonmire, SAN.

—Reforming the legal profession—

Presenting the report on the legal practitioners’ bill, Adegbonmire said the legislation seeks to repeal the existing Legal Practitioners Act and replace it with a modern regulatory framework for Nigeria’s legal profession.

He said the committee conducted thorough scrutiny and recommended amendments aimed at strengthening regulation and improving access to justice.

“The legal profession is the backbone of the rule of law. Nigeria deserves a constitutional, transparent and credible regulatory framework,” Adegbonmire stated.

“The committee is satisfied with the recommended amendments. The bill will provide the framework required for effective regulation of the legal profession.”

—New agency for recovered assets—

The committee also recommended passage of the Proceeds of Crime Recovery and Management Amendment Bill.

According to Adegbonmire, the bill seeks to establish a Proceeds of Crime Recovery and Management Agency with full legal personality to manage recovered assets.

The proposed agency will oversee the recovery, preservation, management and disposal of properties reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activities across Nigeria.

“The bill addresses a genuine gap in Nigeria’s anti-corruption architecture. Its objectives are legitimate, its necessity is urgent and its provisions serve the public interest,” he said.

—Senate approval—

After consideration, the Senate dissolved into the Committee of the Whole, reviewed the bills clause-by-clause, and passed both for a third reading.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the Judiciary Committee for its diligence.

“I pray that those implementing these laws will act with probity, accountability and integrity in the best interest of Nigeria,” Akpabio said.

The bills will now be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence before presidential assent.