Okutepa, SAN, Congratulates 38 Lawyers To Be Sworn In As SAN, Says There’s Need For Cleansing In The Justice System

* Says If We Choose To Have Blind Eyes To Manifest And Obvious Breaches Of Our Rules Of Professional Ethics As A Profession, Then We Have Lost The Right To Fight Corruption

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, J.S. Okutepa, SAN, has congratulated the 38 eminent legal practitioners who have been found worthy to be elevated to the rank of SAN.

According to the learned silk, their elevation no doubt is coming at a time that the legal profession is in dire need of house cleansing.

He added that there is no doubt that the legal profession is the only profession that has an arm of government devoted exclusively to it.

”Today the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria will be swearing in 38 eminent legal Practitioners who have been found worthy in knowledge and character by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) to be conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

”I congratulate these eminent Nigerian legal Practitioners for attaining the zenith in the legal profession. Your elevation no doubt is coming at a time that the legal profession is in dire need of house cleansing. There is no doubt that the legal profession is the only profession that has an arm of government devoted exclusively to it.

The heads of the judicial arm of government at the Federal and in the 36 States of Nigeria including FCT are members of the legal profession. The Attorneys General of Federal and States of Nigeria are members of the legal profession.

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended in section 6 thereof set out the judicial powers of the Federation of Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, at this critical stage of our national life it will be short-sighted arrogant to say all is well with the legal profession, stressing that, there is a need to do some house cleansing if the much-desired justice in our land is to be attained.

”Just like the Nigerian society, corruption has found its ugly head into the legal profession. It is part of our code of conduct and etiquette that in the discharge of our duties we must not give appearance of impropriety. Today not only we give appearance of impropriety, we defend impropriety using legal jargon that clearly promotes injustice.

”All members of the legal profession, Bar and Bench must join hands at all levels to fight corruption in the legal profession and our society.

The leadership of the profession at all levels must be prepared to fight corruption in the profession. These include the new senior Advocates of Nigeria.

”We all have duties and responsibilities to ensure the maintenance of the highest ethics in the profession to be in a position to fight corruption.

He who comes to equity must do so with clean hands. For the profession to perform significant role in the fight against corruption, it must be seen to enforce its rules of professional conduct religiously. That is the essence of Rule 55(2) of the Rules of Professional Conduct 2007,” he added.

Speaking further, he said that we must change our attitude and collectively enforce our rules to enable the legal profession fight corruption, adding that, we must avoid playing politics with the fight against corruption. He also added that if we choose to have blind eyes to manifest and obvious breaches of our rules of professional ethics as a profession, then we have lost the right to fight corruption.

”If we choose to have blind eyes to manifest and obvious breaches of our rules of professional ethics as a profession, then we have lost the right to fight corruption. The profession must be at the vanguard of ensuring that our government create conducive environments for strong institutions.

”In conclusion, let me say that there is total loss of professional ethics and etiquette in the legal profession in Nigeria and that is seriously affecting the administration of justice. Unless we do something quickly to return to the core values of the legal profession, we may as well forget the use of the legal profession as the final arbiter in resolving disputes. I get worried for the kind of precedents we set for ourselves in the legal profession. The bench must be proactive and promote justice in judgments it gives. Precedents must be set in aid of justice and not to promote and encourage injustice. Where those who are to do justice promote and encourage injustice by laying down impossible rules to prove allegations, then the streams of justice suffer shipwreck.

”The legal profession must be agent of social engineering. It must be ready to live by the nobility of its name. There is no society that can grow where injustice is given stamp of legitimacy by the profession that is constitutionally empowered to give justice to all. As we enter into 2019/2020 legal year, we must do everything possible to use the law to restore order to Nigerian society. Time to do so is now,” he said.