HON BIOGRAPHY

​Professor Sebastine Tartenger Hon, SAN, FCIArb., DSSRS is a distinguished Nigerian legal practitioner, constitutional lawyer, author, arbitrator, public affairs commentator, and Professor of Law Practice. He is widely respected for his outstanding contributions to legal scholarship, advocacy, constitutional development, arbitration, public service, and community advancement in Nigeria.

Born in Kano State and hailing from Mbayion, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Professor Hon has built a remarkable career defined by intellectual depth, professional excellence, fearless advocacy, and enduring service to the law and society. He is married and blessed with children and grandchildren.

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Education and Legal Formation

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Professor Hon completed his early education before proceeding to the School of Basic Studies, Makurdi, after which he attended the University of Jos and the Nigerian Law School. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1991 and has remained actively engaged in legal practice ever since. He also holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Comparative Constitutional Law from Baze University, Abuja.

 

Senior Advocate of Nigeria

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In 2008, Professor Sebastine T. Hon was elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee. His elevation was particularly notable, as he was the only academic elevated that year, in recognition of his exceptional ability to combine active legal practice with rigorous research and major scholarly writing. According to the profile provided, he was also the first lawyer from the 1991 call set in the defunct Northern Nigeria and the second in the whole of Nigeria to attain that distinction.

Over the years, he has practiced as Barrister and Solicitor across all levels of courts and tribunals in Nigeria, including the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

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Professor of Law Practice

On 9 December 2024, the Senate of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti approved the award of Professor of Law Practice to Professor Sebastine T. Hon after examining his body of work and contributions to the field. This recognition affirmed his place as one of Nigeria’s leading legal minds and practical scholars.

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Arbitration and Professional Distinction

 

Professor Hon is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb.), having attained the Institute’s highest professional level after completing the required course of study and induction on 21 November 2014.

His arbitration experience includes serving as Arbitrator in proceedings involving the ECOWAS Commission and the Head of Cooperation, European Union Delegation in Nigeria and ECOWAS, in a matter instituted by Memetech SRL. He is also reported to be presiding over arbitration involving major corporate parties in Nigeria.

 

Legal Scholarship and Publications

 

Professor Sebastine T. Hon is an accomplished legal author and one of Nigeria’s most prolific contributors to legal literature. His writings have served as important reference materials for the Bench, the Bar, academia, and researchers. His major works include:

• Management of Primary Schools at the Third Tier of Government in Nigeria: A Legal Manual (co-author, 1992)

• Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence in Nigeria (2004)

• Law of Evidence in Nigeria: Substantive and Procedural (2006)

• Civil Procedure in Nigeria (2008)

• S.T. Hon’s Law of Evidence in Nigeria, Vols. I & II (2012; 2nd Edition 2013; 3rd Edition 2019)

• S.T. Hon’s Constitutional and Migration Law in Nigeria (2016)

• Nigerian Legal Diction and Phraseology (manuscript)

• Nigeria from Medieval Times to the Year 2000: Facts, Figures and Details (manuscript)

He has also authored numerous articles on complex legal and public issues in leading Nigerian newspapers and magazines.

 

Judicial and National Recognition

 

Professor Hon’s scholarship has received remarkable commendation from some of Nigeria’s most distinguished leaders, jurists, and senior lawyers. His works have been cited with approval by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, praised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and commended by former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, among others. His books have also earned strong endorsements from eminent Justices, Senior Advocates, and legal scholars for their depth, originality, clarity, and practical value.

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In recognition of his standing as a leading constitutional lawyer, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has, from time to time, invited him to appear as amicus curiae on complex constitutional questions, a rare honour reserved for lawyers of exceptional stature and expertise.

 

Public Appointments and Leadership Roles

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Professor Hon has held numerous high-level appointments in the legal, academic, and public sectors. These include service as:

• Member, Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Special Appeals Committee

• Member, Court of Appeal Rules Drafting Committee

• Member, Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee

• Member, Advisory Committee on the Bayelsa State High Court Rules

• Chairman/Consultant, Continuing Legal Education Committee, Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch

• Alternate Chairman, Editorial Board, Nigerian Bar Association

• Member, and later Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Benue State University, Makurdi

• Member, Council of Legal Education

• Chairman, Promotions Interview for Staff of the Court of Appeal

• Member, Governing Council, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

• Member, Law Reform Committee of the Federation

• Member, Editorial Board of the Federal Ministry of Justice

• Consultant to the Supreme Court Rules, 2024

These appointments reflect a career marked not only by professional excellence, but also by trust, leadership, and national relevance.

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Honours and Traditional Recognition

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Beyond the legal profession, Professor Hon has received several honours in recognition of his service, integrity, scholarship, and community impact. These include:

• Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State (DSSRS)

• Afa Atindi U Gboko

• Sema Wan U Mbayion

• Zege Igba U Mbatiav

• Or Mimi U Tiv, Port Harcourt

 

These honours reflect the breadth of his influence across professional, governmental, and traditional institutions.

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Teaching, Lectures, and Professional Engagement

 

Professor Hon is frequently invited by Nigerian universities to deliver guest lectures on constitutional law and related subjects. He has also delivered several credit-earning lectures for lawyers through the Nigerian Bar Association, while continuing to present papers at seminars, symposia, and conferences on major legal and public policy issues. He is widely consulted on Constitutional Law, the Law of Evidence, and General Civil Practice.

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Community Service and Social Impact

 

Professor Sebastine T. Hon’s impact extends well beyond the courtroom and the classroom. He has distinguished himself through sustained investments in education, healthcare, youth development, community advancement, and the defence of justice and minority rights.

Among other contributions, he has:

• Co-established Mbamtegh Community Secondary School, Abetse, Mbayion

• Supported free healthcare access for deserving patients

• Sponsored scholarships for indigent students across different educational levels

• Helped individuals establish businesses and build careers

• Founded the Prof. Sebastine Tar Hon Unity Cup, an annual football competition promoting unity and talent discovery

• Consistently advocated for the rights, dignity, and protection of the Tiv people, Benue communities, and other minorities in Northern Nigeria through legal action, public commentary, and pro bono service.

 

His public interventions on constitutional injustice, insecurity, ethnic rights, and community protection have reinforced his reputation as a courageous defender of the oppressed and an unwavering voice for justice. Based on the supplied profile, he has remained deeply involved in causes affecting Tiv land, Middle Belt interests, and broader national constitutional questions.

 

Faith and Family

Professor Hon is a devoted family man, married to Chief (Mrs.) Felicia Ngufan Hon. Their marriage is blessed with children and grandchildren. The family worships with the Watchman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement (WCCRM).

 

Closing Profile Statement

 

Professor Sebastine T. Hon, SAN, FCIArb., DSSRS stands as one of Nigeria’s most respected legal minds—an accomplished advocate, scholar, arbitrator, institution builder, public intellectual, and community leader. His life’s work reflects a rare combination of legal brilliance, national service, intellectual discipline, courage in public advocacy, and enduring commitment to justice, truth, and human dignity.

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