THE STATE OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION IN NIGERIA on Thursday, March 30, 2017 in Kaduna, and reiterated the need for a revolutionary mindset amongst lawyers in birthing #ABraveNewBar. The one-day event attracted notable Bar leaders, NBA members and young lawyers from several branches of the NBA across Nigeria, especially lawyers who practice in the Northern part of the Country. The event also attracted other participants and critical stakeholders from Civil Society organisations (CSOs), the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) and the Media. Having already received feedback as well as suggestions and strategies for repositioning the profession for greater efficiency and effectiveness within the Nigerian polity as well as rendering it more competitive in the global market place from several critical stakeholders before the Town Hall Meeting; the Committee and Participants incisively critiqued these suggestions and strategies as well as dialogued with the present attendees on germane issues about the legal profession with a view to finding practicable solutions to the challenges facing the Profession. Opening Remark Delivering his opening speech, Chairman of the LPRRC, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN, underscored the paramount importance of the day’s business to the reform of the legal profession in Nigeria. He said: “The President of the (NBA), Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, SAN, deemed it fit to constitute this committee on December 28, 2016, and inaugurate it on January 24, 2017, to, among other things, review the current regulatory objectives and regulatory architecture of the legal profession. There is no doubt that the legal profession in Nigeria is facing a plethora of challenges. The values of legal practice appear to have weakened considerably over time and the quality of justice administered has dwindled. As emphasised by the President, we must therefore move quickly to address these challenges, if we are to maintain high standards and remain relevant in the increasingly globalised legal service industry”. “We identify a lot of initiatives that can move us from our current state to the future state. For each initiative, there may be many options. As we take the initiatives and identify the options, I believe it will trigger us to think broadly and look at what is best for the profession. For instance, what should be the super structure for regulations? For example, from the findings of the ‘Current State Sub-Committee, the population of the Legal Profession is fragmented and scattered in different bodies; you have the Body of Benchers, the Council of Legal Education, the General Council of the Bar, the NBA, the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), and so on. So, it’s all fragmented. What should be the super structure for the regulation of the Legal Profession in Nigeria? For instance, the NBA is a self-regulatory body. At the same time, you have the Legal Practitioners’ Act which creates the Body of Benchers, a statutory body; and you have the Legal Education Act, which creates the Council of Legal Education, another statutory body also; both seemingly regulatory of different phases of the legal profession in Nigeria. The questions therefore are, what should be the super structure, what institutions should head this structure what should be the regulatory objectives of such an institution? His opening comments addressed other issues such as the roles of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General of the Federation, pupilage for young lawyers, practice standards, supervision and regulation; amongst others. Town Hall Engagement: Honourable Justice Davius Hifet Khoteo, who represented the Chief Judge of Kaduna State, said: “I want to align myself with the call for the reform of the Judiciary. Many have suggested that lawyers should use or not use the wig and gown. I will simply suggest that we tread cautiously on this issue. There is something that makes the lawyer stand out in the court: the use of wig and gown. If you demystify the profession, you may have no profession in your hands tomorrow. “Furthermore, the issue of integrity cannot be negotiated. Integrity makes you who you are as a lawyer. Integrity makes me who I am as a Judge. Anything short of integrity forget about it. Integrity should not be compromised at the Bar. Integrity at the Bar will affect integrity at the Bench. When you have a very vibrant Bar, you will have a vibrant Bench. Good submission from the Bar will produce sound judgment from the Bench. It is what you give us that we give back to you. Our great grandfathers laboured hard to build the legal profession and handed it to us in one piece. What are we going to hand over to coming generations? That is the one million Naira question we need to answer”. Other deliberations centred around the issues of the NBA stamp and seal, policy summersaults by different NBA Administrations, continuing legal education for lawyers, especially training in diction and erudition for young lawyers, pupilage for young lawyers, job creation for young lawyers, amongst others. A notable contribution was that by Abubakar Sulaiman, a young lawyer from Kano State who suggested that Professional Ethics should be taught right from 200 level in the university. He further said that it is laughable to go to court only to get a date for mentioning, and then go there another time to get a date for hearing. He wondered why mentioning and hearing could not be done the same day, regarding this as unwarranted delay tactics and thus unprofessional. Chief Malcolm Omirhobe lamented the scourge of corruption which he said had deepened into the legal profession. He cited the menace of hidden charges with which judicial officers lay ambush for lawyers in the administration of justice. Cyril ‘Boware Ogbekene Esq. said lawyers who seek unnecessary adjournment have raised this tendency to the level of professional misconduct. Finally, National Welfare Secretary Adesina Adegbite gave the vote of thanks before Chief Malcolm Omirhobe moved the motion for the adjournment of the Town Hall Meeting till Monday, April 2, 2017 in Calabar. The motion was seconded by Abdul Malik Sulaiman. The NBA-LPRRC Tran moves to Calabar. ]]>