The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has expressed deep concerns about the erosion of ethical principles in the legal profession, warning that it is currently facing significant challenges.

She called on legal practitioners to urgently respond to these concerns and reaffirm their commitment to ethics, discipline, and professional responsibility.

Speaking at the Body of Benchers’ inaugural Annual Lecture and the public presentation of the report on the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee, Justice Kekere-Ekun emphasised the need for the legal profession to rise to the occasion in upholding its sanctity.

The report, titled “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,” highlighted the key issues undermining the profession.

“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,” Justice Kekere-Ekun stated. “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.”

She further stressed that the enforcement of professional discipline through the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee was crucial, calling for fairness, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to discipline.

“The enforcement of professional discipline among legal practitioners is a vital function that must be pursued with fairness, transparency, and unwavering resolve,” she added.

Justice Kekere-Ekun also proposed institutionalising the annual lecture to provide a platform for setting benchmarks for professional ethics, promoting continuous legal education, and driving necessary reforms within the justice sector.

“I urge that this lecture be expanded to serve as a mechanism for advancing justice sector reforms and promoting professional ethics,” she said.

During his inaugural lecture, former Lagos State Governor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Babatunde Fashola, spoke passionately about the current state of legal education in Nigeria.

Fashola criticised the one-year Law School training, suggesting that it lacks sufficient exposure to the courtroom environment.

He emphasised that law should be learned in practice rather than solely in classrooms.

“There is a grave danger when a person of unsuitable character, integrity, or competence slips through the cracks,” Fashola warned. “A poor-quality lawyer, law teacher, prosecutor, judge, legal adviser, or law officer has been made. This compromises the entire system of administration of justice, where the stakes are very high in terms of lives and livelihoods.”


https://punchng.com/legal-profession-facing-ethical-challenges-says-cjn/