I once witnessed a scene in Oyo State High Court where a junior counsel on the opposing side referred to a Senior Advocate as “my learned colleague.” The Senior Advocate immediately stood up in annoyance and said, “I am not your learned colleague. Call me “Learned Silk” or “Learned Senior Advocate”.
I was shocked that day. The SAN almost took it personal o😂. While I agree that, as a matter of professional ethics, we are all learned colleagues, as a matter of respect and in line with our values here in Africa (particularly in Nigeria), I would not refer to a Senior Advocate as my learned colleague. It sounds disrespectful, even though it is not intended to be and should not ordinarily be considered so.
Terms such as “Learned Silk,” “Learned Senior Counsel,” “Learned Senior Advocate,” and similar expressions have even been used by judges and justices. They are simply marks of respect and it only shows our cultural norms in this part of the world, where respect for seniority is highly valued.
Personally, I believe that while all lawyers are colleagues in the profession, there is nothing wrong with extending additional courtesy and respect to those who have spent decades in practice and have attained the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Thank you.
A very young lawyer was trying to refer to the elderly lawyer on the other side and was like, "My learned frien... uhm, senior counsel..."
The judge: You better call him learned daddy 😂😂