Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo says the credibility and relevance of the legal profession in the country is being threatened by corruption, ethical violations and poor standards.
Professor Osinbajo who stated this as a keynote speaker at the Twenty-Twenty-Five Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yenagoa branch, said to reverse the situation and restore its lost glory, there was need for all actors to uphold its integrity, ensure self regulation, strict enforcement of discipline and maintain standards in entry into the legal profession.
Professor Yemi Osinbajo who stressed the need for the legal profession in Nigeria to embrace emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence said this had become imperative in the face of the pace of technological advancement, the rise of globalisation and the democratisation of information in modern societies.
The former Vice President said technology has immense impact on legal education, hence there was need to retrain law students in tertiary institutions and Law Schools and redefine legal education by integrating new technology such as AI and other tools, introduce more cross disciplinary training, and rejig the curriculum as globalisation has revolutionized the delivery of legal services and adjudication.
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On the State of the legal profession in the country and the system of administration of justice, Professor Osinbajo said they are faced with a negative perception of corruption and ethical violations, stating that the bar and the bench were culpable, urging practitioners to uphold the integrity of the profession.
Governor Douye Diri who declared open the 2025 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yenagoa branch emphasized that Nigerians must work to ensure the entrenchment of a functional and independent judiciary and the enthronement of rule of law.
The Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Bayelsa State, Mr. Biriyai Dambo charged members of the legal profession to rise above personal and professional complacency, and be the conscience of the nation.
Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Matilda Ayemieye congratulated the Yenagoa branch of the NBA for organising the 2025 law week programme.
Chairman of the Yenagoa Branch of the NBA, Mr. Somina Johnbull said the outcome of the public lecture would see the formation of a Committee on Access to Justice to assess the judicial system of Bayelsa State,
The 2025 Law Week had the theme ‘Setting the Pace: Law, Leadership and Transformational Development’.
One Response
The APC has destroyed the Nigerian Judiciary already. To save it, the NJC and the NBA MUST be intentional to ensure the independence of the judiciary, and the first step shall be to save it from the clutches of the government and the influence of the APC. Saving the judiciary is tantamount to saving Nigeria. The question here is: Is the Judiciary prepared to save itself?