The Body of Benchers (BOB) has cautioned the National Assembly against its proposal to regulate the establishment of Law Schools in the country.
BOB Chairman, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) issued the caution on Tuesday in Abuja while admitting 4, 691 new lawyers at the Call to Bar ceremony held in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said: “May we plead with 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 neighbourhoods of some lawmakers.
“It is within the exclusive prerogative of the Council of Legal Education, in consultation with the Body of Benchers to establish new Law School campuses.
“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 the 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 said.
He advised the new lawyers to always uphold the ethics of the profession and desist from acts that could portray the profession in a bad light.
“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).
Olanipekun urged judges to be lenient with young lawyers, saying: “To our noble judges, before whom these young ones will start appearing, please be patient with them and exercise your awesome owners to commit for sparingly.”
Dwelling on the activities of the BOB, Olanipekun noted that the body is not an appendage of the Federal Government, or any government, institution or agency, howsoever.
He added: “It is an independent and autonomous body, and its meetings, affairs and decisions are not influenced by any power or authority whatsoever.”
Olanipekun noted that 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.
He 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) disclosed that the new lawyers successfully completed the vocational training at the Nigerian Law School as prescribed by the Legal Education Act of 1962.
Chiroma disclosed 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.
Meanwhile, the President of the Nigeria Bar Association ((NBA), Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), who has recently been critical of the BOB Chairman, was absent at the event.
