Mentoring: An Evening with Babalakin
Over 100 young Lawyers from the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), had a rare opportunity to be mentored by Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN last Monday the 2nd of July 2018. In addition about 800 lawyers were streamed in live on the internet and were also able to participate in the program and also ask questions.
The event tagged ‘An Evening with Dr. Babalakin’, was one in the series of mentorship programmes initiated by the Tobenna Erojikwe led Continuing Legal Education Committee of the Branch.
Welcoming the mentees to the event, NBA Lagos Branch Chairman, Chukwuka Ikwuazom, thanked Dr Babalakin for his immense support for the Branch over the years, including being a major sponsor of the Branch’s recent annual law week. It’s on record that a Partner in the firm, Mr. Tola Oshobi, SAN also chaired the NBA Lagos Law Week Planning Committee.
Babalakin commended Ikuazom for his foresight in initiating the mentorship programme, saying that it is the best way to bring new wigs into the profession, and especially now that many are expressing concerns over standards in the profession.
He said “I was mentored by the legend Chief FRA Williams. No Lawyer today, has completely maintained dominance over the profession, like FRA did in his time.
“As at 1985, almost 50% of Supreme Court reported cases which considered serious issues were argued by the late FRA. The late legal icon, provided knowledge and information to those who related with him. At the end of my legal career, I look forward to being so described.
Babalakin also appealed to the lawyers that “Anything your learn from me, please, pass it to others.” Knowledge must always be passed and the worst crime that can be committed is to hoard knowledge and allow it to die with you.
He admonished the young Lawyers thus, “Law is a great profession, and it is our duty to return it to its previous enviable position.
“In the era between 1955 and 1976, the best Lawyers in Nigeria, went to the Bench. It is important to reposition the Profession to this level if we are going to have a good system of Justice
“The Government hardly had any influence whatsoever, over judicial appointments. No applications were invited, and no tests were required for Lawyers to take up appointments as Judges. The best Lawyers, became Judges.
“As a young boy, three outstanding lawyers who became judge were my heroes in the Profession. The first was Honourable Justice Olufemi Ayoola. He had a plaque in front of his house which fascinated me a lot. It read as follows: Olu Ayoola. MA, LLB, BCL, BSc (econs) . Dip. Ed. He had acquired all these qualifications by 1952 at he age of 24. . His brother Emmanuel Olayinka Ayoola, who rose to become a Justice of the Supreme Court and later became the Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices Commission I CPC, and my father, Bola Babalakin who retired as a Justice of the Supreme Court
“Being a Judge, was extremely prestigious in those days. Judges heard and determined their cases, expeditiously. They were no delays, in the justice delivery system. Very few decisions of the lower courts were upturned in the Appeal Court because the decisions of the High Court were simply to a very large extent the appropriate decisions.
“There used to be Assizes, where criminal trials where concluded within weeks and in some cases, even within days.” The prosecutors hardly came to court to prosecute weak cases. There was no media trial. Trial took place in court where facts and law were the relevant issues.
He urged the young Lawyers present at the event, to join him in the crusade to reform the legal profession in Nigeria, saying that Nigeria can no longer tolerate mediocrity in the profession.
Asked by the Lawyers about the pathway to success in the legal profession, Babalakin said, three key ingredients are required, knowledge acquisition, participitating actively in Legal issues including the activities of the Bar Association and a acquiring a more than average knowledge of the history of the legal system in Nigeria.
In his campaign to reposition the Bar, Babalakin advocates a considerable increase in the remuneration of Judges, ensuring that only very good Lawyers with unquestionable integrity get to the Bench, and urged the young Lawyers not to be discouraged, as there is still hope for the profession, if they join the campaign.
On the standard of legal education, he said a situation where you have 135 students to one teacher in a tutorial class, is regrettable and worrisome. In his student days at Cambridge University, Babalakin said it was one student to one teacher, for one hour of tutorials. This is my own idea of legal education. Even in the University of Lagos, we were about ten in a tutorial class. What we have now cannot be appropriately described as legal education.
He further expressed concerns, over the mass output of Lawyers from the Nigerian Law School. He is not able to confirm that the quality has been maintained.
On his vision for reforms in the Nigerian justice delivery system, Babalakin expressed the view that, what is needed, is to create strong and merit based and enduring institutions. He does not agree that Federal Character application ought to have weakened the Judiciary. I have worked in every part of Nigeria and all parts of Nigeria have outstanding lawyers and the task is to identify them and promote them within the legal system.
He succinctly addressed the vexed issue, of poor wages for young Lawyers. He berated senior Lawyers who pay their juniors anything below N100,000, which in his view, is not even a living wage in the light of present economic realities. Poor remuneration for young Lawyers, is fundamentally wrong, he said.