The Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun on Wednesday took a critical look into the practice of law in the country and lamented the downturn in adherence to ethical principles in the legal profession.
She noted with regrets that strict adherence to ethical principles in the legal profession was not only dwindling but facing serious challenges.
The CJN spoke at the public presentation of the report of the Directions of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee held at the Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja.
To address the trend, Justice Kekere-Ekun canvassed an urgent need for law practitioners to recommit themselves to the fundamental values of ethics, discipline and professional responsibility.
She said, “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.”
The CJN who chaired the inaugural edition of the Body of Benchers annual lecture and the public presentation of the Body of Benchers Law Report, praised the Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN, and the entire members of the Body for their foresight and dedication in initiating the lecture.
She said that 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 on 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, and providing a forum for robust, critical and well-researched discussions.
The CJN further 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 be sustained and expanded, noting that it 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.
This maiden edition of the annual lecture, with the theme ‘Half-A-Century of the Body of Benchers: The Past, The Present, and The Future of Maintaining the Ethics of the Legal Profession in Nigeria’, is to be delivered by a former governor of Lagos State and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Babatunde Raji Fashola.
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