A Professor of Law and Judge of Enugu State High Court, Justice Cyprian Ajah, has tasked lawyers on strict adherence to the ethics and code of conduct for legal practitioners, as doing otherwise would erode public trust and undermine the rule of law.
Justice Ajah noted that “without ethics and trust in the legal profession, the justice system will be undermined.”
The jurist made the call in a lecture titled: “The importance of ethics in the legal profession,” which he delivered at the 2022 dinner organised by the Faculty of Law, Renaissance University, Ugbawka, in Enugu state, at the weekend.
He reminded lawyers of the need to constantly uphold the rule of law and access to justices, pointing out that “if lawyers do not adhere to, and promote principle of justice, fairness and equity, the law itself will be brought to disrepute and public confidence in it dimmed.”
The legal profession, he added, has a huge responsibility within the society, as upholders of the rule of law and protectors of individual rights against abuse of power, pointing out that the current state of affairs in Nigeria demands the maintenance of reputation by the legal profession against fakes and quacks.
He advised lawyers to maintain the highest standard of honesty, integrity and fairness towards their clients, the court and members of the public, “which includes promptly honouring any undertaking given in the course of a lawyer’s practice.”
He paid glowing tribute to the founder and visitor of Renaissance University, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, for his profound vision in establishing and sustaining the nascent citadel of intellectual, human and entrepreneurial development.
This, he said, was an immense testimony to Senator Nnamani’s fervent and unrelenting love for education and youth empowerment.
