JK Gadzama, Ojukwu, Don, Task Lawyers, Students on Legal Ethics
Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, Prof. Ernest Ojukwu, and the Dean, Faculty of Law, Baze University, Prof. Chris Ohuruogu, represented by the Acting Dean, Dr. Kathleen Okafor, have urged practicing Lawyers and students aspiring to the Nigerian Bar, to imbibe the ethics of the legal profession for successful practice.
Gadzama, while delivering a paper on ‘Ethics of the Legal Profession’, organised by the Law Faculty of Baze University, the first in its monthly lecture series held in Abuja, said the younger ones who will eventually become the Lawyers of tomorrow, must begin to appreciate the importance of ethics at a very early age.
The legal luminary described legal ethics, as the minimum standards of appropriate conduct within the profession, involving the duties that its members owe one another, their clients and the courts, stressing that the ethics has been codified as the Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC), for practitioners, even as they are expected to have a copy which is to be applied in their daily lives and activities. He said: “The RPC has therefore set standards expected of a legal practitioner, on issues which include mode of dressing, dedication and devotion to client’s brief, mode of addressing the court, dealing with clients’ funds, conduct in court, responsibility for litigation, representation of client and engagement in business”. While emphasising the critical role of ethics in the legal profession, he explained that: “If you get it wrong in ethics, it is only a matter of time for everything to
crumble, it is no surprise that the names of so many Lawyers have been removed from the roll of legal practitioners, because of lack of ethics.
Ethics, Gadzama, asserted, is the guiding behavioural parameter, which holds Lawyers to a high moral standard in the discharge of their professional duties, and in their interactions with society.
He said: “Unlike other professions, the ethics of the legal profession, invariably stipulates that a Lawyer must be above board in his/her dealings, at all times.
“No one can be a successful Lawyer, without a full grasp of ethics and religious compliance with ethics, as there will be no fulcrum on which to stand. In the case of Akpene v Barclays Bank (1971) I S.C. 47 at 59, the Supreme adopted the view of Lord Denning in Macfoy v United African Company Ltd. (1961) 3 W.L.R. (P.C) 1405 at 1409, to the effect that: “You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stay there. It will collapse”.
According to him, the name of one of the 31 nominated Senior Advocates was withdrawn by the CJN, Walter Onnogen, as recommended by the by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), because of the petition written against him arising from alleged ethical misconduct.
“Nigerian Lawyers, as a necessary consequence, must therefore, live by the ethics of the profession as contained in the extant rules of the professional conduct for legal practitioners, since the profession is that which involves so much trust and access to privileged information, so that
they can stand toe to toe with their colleagues anywhere in the world”, he said.
The Senior Advocate recommended that, just as Ethics is a mandatory course at Baze University, so should it be compulsory in all Nigerian Universities, where law is being studied.
In his remarks, Prof Ojukwu, said it is gratifying to note that out of 46 Law Faculties in Nigerian Universities, Baze University is the first and only one, that has Ethics as a course.
According to him, Ethics should be made mandatory across all Law Faculties in Nigerian Universities, explaining: “we want to force the entire country to make it a mandatory course, because ethical Lawyers are made, and not born”.
Also speaking at the margin of the lecture, Prof Ohuruogu, said: “We were very much propelled to increase the standard of legal education in Nigeria, and the future of our young ones who are coming into the profession, as they are expected to come from the position of strength, knowledge and integrity.
“That is why we are concerned about this. Every month, we shall invite erudite lecturers, to come and help in formulating characters of the Faculty of Baze University. On the falling standard of ethics in the profession, we want to reinvigorate, and make sure that we even surpass the standard, as it will make people better Lawyers and repose more confidence in our Lawyers.”