The Need For Continuous Inculcation Of Ethical Values In Nigerian Lawyers By Chidi Udekwe, ESQ.

Over the years, there have been complaints about the shabby manner of dressing by some Lawyers, which is worsened by their lack of preparation for their cases before the courts, and also a general lack of ethics and values ofthe profession.

My recent experience at the Magistrate Court, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja points to the urgency of making it mandatory for young lawyers to undergo pupillage for a period of time in the law firms of more senior and experienced lawyers.

In two different matters in court, some young colleagues muddled up the examination-in-chief procedure by practically assuming the roles of counsel, witnesses and Judex at the same time.

In one of the matters, a particular Counsel who led the witness during cross-examination, identified documents by himself, and even informed the court that the documents were evidence rather than just tendering them. I sympathised with the opposing Counsel who kept objecting to the point where he got tired of the whole proceedings.

In the second case, the Magistrate almost conducted the hearing himself, in the absence of the opposing Counsel, probably because of the strange practice adopted by the Counsel.

Another sad occurrence is the penchant to unnecessarily call cases out of turn, even when there are senior colleagues patiently waiting to conduct their matters. In one of such instances, a Magistrate had to educate a young colleague on the need for him to exercise patience by allowing senior colleagues to conduct their matters first, as there may be one or two things he would learn from them.

The climax of it all is the attitude of some counsel at the just concluded AGC in Lagos, which is a pointer to the fact that perhaps disorderliness is at its peak in our revered and noble profession.

All these scenarios make it obvious that something drastic has to be done to protect the future of the profession, in terms of legal education and character wise. The high number of cases coming up at LPDC is a signal that something urgent has to be done by the Nigerian Bar Association and its stakeholders.

Ethics being the principal thing in sustaining our profession should not be slaughtered on the altar of formalism and the pursuit of profit. Therefore, the Continuing Legal Education committee of the NBA should not only focus on creating new legal frontiers but should focus also on the ethics of the profession.

The practice of training judicial officers, especially those in lower courts, as regards principles and application of laws and procedures should be encouraged. This will help in reducing the cases going on appeals.

There is also an urgent need to streamline the activities of Bailiffs, Clerks and Registrars of Courts in terms of fees charged for sundry legal services, as they are but cogs in the wheel of justice delivery.

As the new Legal Year commences, I wish each and everyone of us a fruitful and robust practice.

Chidi Udekwe, ESQ. is Principal Counsel at C. N. Udekwe Law Firm, Utako, Abuja.