‘Every Lawyer Must Engage in Critical Thinking and Continuous Self-Development’
My name is Richmond Ekhosuehi Idaeho. I hold a Diploma in Law (graduating as the best student), and degrees in Philosophy and Law from the University of Benin, where I served as Attorney-General of the Students Union Government.
I attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, and shortly after my Call to the Nigerian Bar, I was engaged by the law firm of Jackson, Etti and Edu, Victoria Island, Lagos, where I currently work as a litigation and dispute resolution practitioner. I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb. UK), Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN), INSOL International, the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) Chartered, as well as Association of Professional Negotiators and Mediators.
I am a writer, poet, and I love music and tours.
Have you had any challenges in your career as a Lawyer, and if so, what were the main challenges?
There are times that attending court could be somewhat frustrating, especially where the court does not sit or does not usually sit on time, or where cases have to be mentioned out of turn. In some instances, I could have a matter in court
listed among the first 5 cases for that day, and which proceedings may not take up to 10 minutes, but I could end up spending the whole day in court, because the court had allowed cases listed on the Cause List to be called out of turn. Sometimes, you find Lawyers arguing with each other over years of call. Apart from members of the Inner Bar, who have the privilege of calling their cases out of turn, the idea of other Lawyers calling cases out of turn, on the basis of seniority, is quite unhealthy! I would suggest that courts should adhere to their Bar/Cause List in calling out cases.
More so, you have to contend with the demands of court, work and the home, and managing or balancing these three aspects of life could be quite tasking.
What was your worst day as a Lawyer?
That was sometime in February 2018, when the Court refused my application to strike out a suit on the ground of being incompetent, and went on to almost embarrass me in Court. It was quite annoying, as the Court virtually descended into the arena.
What was your most memorable experience as a Lawyer?
I would say that I have had lots of memorable experiences in my professional life. My most memorable would however, be a matter I conducted recently at the High Court of Lagos State, which involved a Claimant who had sought for the Court to quash and vacate a Consent Judgement entered by the Court. We challenged the suit, and the Court upheld our submissions and dismissed the suit.
This case is memorable to me for two reasons. One, the pace at which the case was disposed of, within a life span of 6 (six) months, is quite commendable. Secondly, the fact that we won the case. This was a case, where the Court applied the trite principles of law of res judicata and abuse of court process. This case to me, represents a speedy dispensation of justice, which is the essence of the judiciary.
Who has been most influential person in your life?
My father, A. E. Idaeho (christened Eghianruwa N’ Ovue Ogbe), has greatly influenced my life and my career path. He was Judge of the Customary Court, and while growing up (during my holidays), I would sometimes join him in court, to observe the proceedings. I thought to myself that I would like to be a Judge, and for me to become a Judge, I would have to first and foremost, become a Lawyer. He introduced me to a life of learning, and the arts of teaching and writing. He taught me a lot of life’s principles, and gave me discipline and lessons, which I have continued to live with to date. He had once said “knowledge is a growing phenomenon, such that even the wise can learn from the fool”.
Why did you become a Lawyer?
I admired the legal practice while growing up. Lawyers, I was taught, were social transformers. Everything in the society is regulated by law. Thus, good laws could only make our society better. My desire was to contribute my quota to societal development/transformation. By becoming a Lawyer,
I would be well equipped to contribute to the development of the law, for a better society.
What would be your advice to anyone wanting a career in Law?
The practice of law, requires a lot of critical analysis. You must be ready to sieve through the facts of your case, so as to understand how best you can handle it. You must be ready to engage in intensive reading. Law is not all about argument, as many people would think, but critical thinking and continuous self-development. Abilities to write, conduct rigorous research and communicate effectively and articulately, are crucial parts of the profession.
If you had not become a Lawyer, what career would you have chosen?
Well, I would have pursued my career as a Philosopher to the fullest. I had an invitation to teach Philosophy at the University of Benin (having graduated as second-best student in my class), and I would have embraced that passion and gone into lecturing.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
As a Lawyer, my goal is to rise to the peak of legal practice, and I see myself achieving that, and being at the top of my game in the next 10 years.