….. improvement of existing campuses using Rivers Model is what is needed
The Body of Benchers (BoB) has asked the National Assembly ” to stop toying with the idea of promulgating laws or amending the Legal Practitioners Act to pave way for the proliferation of Law School Campuses, particularly around the neighborhoods of some lawmakers”.
Chairman of the Body, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) issued the warning on Tuesday in Abuja while admitting 4691 new set of lawyers at the Call to Bar ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to him, the establishment of law schools in the country is ” within the exclusive prerogative of the Council of Legal Education,in consultation with the Body of Benchers .
” While I do not question the jurisdiction of the National Assembly to make laws as appropriate,Law School Campuses cannot be established without clearance from the council of Legal Education.
” What we need now is improvement and upgrading of the existing Law School Campuses, using the newly commissioned Graham Douglas Law School Campus,Port Harcourt,built and equipped by the Rivers State Government as a model. I dare say that it is the best in the country for now
Olanipekun told the new lawyers to shun acts that negate the ethics of the profession while urging Judges to be patient with me young lawyers when they appear in court.
“It behoves me at this point to forthrightly prepare your minds for the inevitability of bumpy rides, aspersions, tirades, general vicissitudes, and such other contingencies to which all humans are susceptible.
“These eventualities are of universal character, sparing no one, irrespective of illustriousness or nobility of pedigree, tribal or ethnic affiliation, religious inclinations, affluence eminence or dexterity. Yours faithfully is, of course, a living example.
“Our profession boasts of and parades three key words: noble, honourable and learned. Covet these flagship words in your endeavours, understanding and relationship with others.
“Do not engage in strife, blackmail, mudslinging, campaign of calumny, treachery or any attempt to run or pull anyone down,” Olanipekun added.
He urged senior lawyers to improve the welfare of junior lawyers and spoke of plans to mentor new lawyers nationwide through a mentoring committee of the BOB headed by J. K. Gadzama (SAN).
On the activities of the BoB, Olanipekun said that the body i” is an independent and autonomous body, and its meetings, affairs and decisions are not influenced by any power or authority whatsoever.”
He said although the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), the body responsible for the discipline of lawyers, is a committee of the BoB, the LPDC is a juristic personality on its own, independent of the BOB and is not controlled in any way or manner by either the body or its chairman and cautioned: “Proceedings before the LPDC should not be politicized, sensationalized, publicized and advertised in advance or while the proceedings are ongoing by complainants for whatever reason howsoever, as so doing, negates the principle of fair hearing, which all lawyers subscribe to.”
Earlier, the Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Professor Isa Chiroma (SAN) had disclosed that the new lawyers successfully completed the vocational training at the Nigerian Law School as prescribed by the Legal Education Act of 1962.
He said that the new lawyers are those who emerged successful at the August/September 2022 Bar Final Examination. He said out of a total of 5,802 students who participated in the exams, 4691 emerged successful representing 80.81%.
A breakdown of the results showed that 119 students came out with 1st Class; 789 with 2nd Class Upper; 2, 460, 2nd Class Lower; and 1, 323 came out with Pass, while students were from the last exam.
