•CJN laments lack of ethical principles in legal profession
From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged the judiciary to resist external pressure and sustain its integrity in upholding the rule of law and justice delivery.
He spoke at the maiden edition of the Body of Benchers’ annual lecture and public presentation of its law report in Abuja, yesterday.
The vice president said the judiciary was an essential pillar of the nation’s democratic framework and must be protected against external interference.
“The foundation of every great nation is built on the ethical sensitivity of the institutions that uphold justice,” he said.
He warned that bending the law to serve vested interests erodes national stability and weakened democratic governance. Laws are not mere technicalities; they are the scaffolding of civilization. Without laws, there is no order, without order, there is no society.
“Every time justice is delayed, every time the law is bent to serve the interests of agents of anarchy, and every time institutions waver in the face of blackmail, we erode the very foundation of our nation.
“If that foundation crumbles, no matter how high we have built, everything falls apart,” he said.
The vice president, who declared the event open, urged legal practitioners to make honesty and fairness their watchword, adding that history would judge those who allowed justice to be compromised.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, decried the lack of strict adherence to ethical principles in the legal profession.
She regretted that strict adherence to ethical principles in the legal profession and society at large was not only dwindling but facing serious challenges.
To address the trend, the CJN canvassed an urgent need for law practitioners to recommit themselves to the fundamental values of ethics, discipline and professional responsibility.
“It is instructive to note that the Body of Benchers, as the apex institution of the legal profession in Nigeria, is uniquely positioned to lead the charge in this regard.
“The responsibility of upholding the legal profession’s sanctity rests heavily on its shoulders and I have no doubt that the Body will continue to rise to the occasion.
“The enforcement of professional discipline among legal practitioners, through the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), is a vital function that must be pursued with fairness, transparency and unwavering resolve,” she stated.
The CJN, who chaired the programme, praised the chairman, Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo and the entire members of the Body for their foresight and dedication in initiating the lecture.
She said the lecture was not only a testament to the progressive evolution of the Body but also a much-needed platform for intellectual engagement, practical discourse and introspective reflections on the role of the Body of Benchers within the legal profession in Nigeria.
According to her, the lecture initiative was conceived as an annual event to serve multiple purposes, including illuminating the workings of the Body of Benchers both nationally and internationally to foster greater understanding of its critical role in legal practice and professional discipline; providing a forum for robust, critical and well-researched discussions on the successes.
The CJN explained that the lecture will address challenges and future prospects of the Body; evaluating the ethical standards of the legal profession in Nigeria to ensure the highest levels of discipline, integrity and professional responsibility among lawyers; and presenting a forward-looking agenda for strengthening the legal profession, while enhancing public confidence in the judiciary and legal practice.
She pleaded that the initiative should be sustained and expanded and should not only serve as an avenue for reflection and discourse but also as a mechanism for setting clear benchmarks for professional ethics, continuous legal education and justice sector reforms.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, said the legal profession was not only a cornerstone of our democratic system but a vital force in shaping the direction of our national development.
Fagbemi, who was represented by the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba added that the very essence of the legal profession was to uphold the rule of law, ensure justice and safeguard fairness in society.
“As legal practitioners, we are duty-bound to ensure that justice is served and that the law remains for the protection of the people.”
In a keynote address, former Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola, said it was important for benchers to rigorously scrutinise the legal professionals admitted to the bar in order to maintain the profession’s standards.
He called for a re-evaluation of legal training to separate the education of solicitors from that of barristers or advocates.
“Given the public concerns about the administration of justice, has the time not come upon us to separate and specialise the training of solicitors from barristers or advocates?” he queried.
He also said that in his opinion the one-year law school training was inadequate as it lacked sufficient court exposure, making it difficult to instil the intangible attitudes of a lawyer that were essential for legal practice.
Welcoming guests to the event, Awomolo said the event was organised to enable legal minds to talk about activities of the body in half a century.
According to him, the body is by statute given powers to regulate the practice of law and discipline of lawyers, whose conduct violates the rules of professional conduct in the legal profession.
The body of benchers was established in 1971 with the primary responsibility of admitting men and women of learning and character into the legal profession as barristers and solicitors of the Supreme Court.