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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Efforts to reposition the legal profession kick-started on Monday with the inauguration of the General Council of the Bar (GCB) by the Attorney General of the Federal, (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubarkar Malami, SAN.
The Council is charged with the task rejiging the legal profession in order to changing the current negative perception of the profession.
Performing the ceremony in Abuja, Malami tasked the council to strive to overcome its inherent limitation to reinvent and reassert itsself in the legal architecture of the country.
The AGF explained that the inauguration presents an opportunity for constitutional heads of the legal profession and members of the Bar to meet and deliberate on pertinent issues affecting the legal profession, especially in view of current challenges and public perception of the profession.
Besides, he noted that the General Council of the Bar (Bar Council) was established by the Legal Practitioners Act, LPA, and saddled with functions as may be prescribed by the Act and the Constitution of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The AGF admonished those inaugurated to continue to show commitment and dedication to the statutory duties of the Council, especially with regards to making and reviewing rules of professional conduct under Section 12(4) of the LPA as well as the rules of account to be kept by legal practitioners under Section 20(1)(a) to (e) of the LPA.
Malami said, “As we proceed to inaugurate a new set of members of the Bar Council, it is my fervent hope and desire that the Bar Council will strive to overcome inherent limitations to reinvent and reassert itself in the legal architecture of our nation. Together we must work to restore the confidence which the public hitherto reposed in members of the legal profession.
“This will only be possible if we as members demonstrate uncommon commitment and dedication to make a difference through our various inputs and services to the Council, and that is my charge to you all as I congratulate you on this call to duty and opportunity to better the lot of our noble profession. ”
Meanwhile, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN said that there was the absolute need to provide regulations that will guide the conduct of legal Practitioners towards the fight against corruption, money laundering, terrorism, economic crimes, and other criminal activities.
He said the legal profession while maintain the privileges conferred on the it by the statutes, self-regulate it conduct as to make it accountable in the fight against the menaces that have bedeviled the nation.
Maikyau therefore urged all members of the Legal profession to farmililarised themselves with the Legal Practitioner Acts, LPA and the Constitution of the Association which, he said, ” remains the principal legal framework governing the operation of our Association.”
