A Kogi High Court sitting in
Koton-Karfe on Friday indicted a legal practitioner, Mr Adetunji Oso, for
unethical and unprofessional conduct during court proceedings.
NAN reports that Justice Alaba
Omolaye-Ajileye, inflicted Oso, while delivering judgment in the suit filed by
the state Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah and Chief Registrar of the High
Court, Yahaya Adamu against Gov. Yahaya Bello, Kogi House of Assembly and three
others.
Omolaye-Ajileye held that Oso,
from the chambers of Chief A.A. Adeniyi & Co. and counsel to governor Bello
in the case, behaved in an unprofessional manner.
”The gravity of the misbehaviour
of Oso, in the face of the court, made it expedient that the matter should not
only be put on record for future references but attract the attention of the
leadership of the Bar and the Bench.
”There is need for the Nigerian
Bar Association (NBA), and the Body of Benchers to take appropriate action in
order to preserve the integrity of the court system.
The Jurist stated, “the genesis
of the unfortunate incident was an oral application on Friday, June 14, in
which Mr Oso informed me of a pending application for a stay of proceedings in
this case, pending before the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
“I said there was no such
application made before this court and he strenuously argued that I could no
longer proceed with this case.
“Mr Oso argued that because he
had informed the court of the pending application, the court must not proceed
with the case slated for definite hearing on that day.
“The response of the opposing
counsel, A. M. Aliyu (SAN), was taken and a ruling on the point rendered, in
which I overruled Mr Oso on that point and directed that the case should
proceed to hearing.
“Upon being over-ruled, Mr Oso
announced to the court that he was recusing himself from the case and in a most
defiant, disrespectful and impudent manner, unbecoming of a Legal Practitioner,
he walked out on the court.
“He thereby eviscerates the
dignity and integrity of this court in the eyes of the public. The action of Mr
Oso is most unprofessional and condemnable. It is unequivocally, a breach of
the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC).
“As an integral participant in
the administration of justice, I suppose, a lawyer’s paramount duty is to the
court and the Rule of Law.
“He must avoid doing anything
that may have the effect of diminishing court’s authority or ridiculing the
aura of respectability it commands and enjoys”, he said.
Justice Omolaye-Ajileye explained
that, as a Judge, he was duty-bound to enforce high standards of conduct of
legal practitioners that appeared before him.
Accordingly, he directed the
Registrar of the court to make copies of the judgment and the proceedings of
June 14, available to the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), chairman Body
of Benchers and the President, NBA for their notification.
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