Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa, has raised the alarm over the state of Nigeria’s legal profession, accusing the Nigerian Bar Association and some practitioners of failing to confront practices that threaten justice, public confidence and democratic development.
Okutepa said lawyers remain central to the survival of democracy because they have a duty to protect the rule of law, assist courts in reaching just decisions and hold institutions accountable.
He, however, expressed concern that the legal profession was increasingly being weakened by questionable advocacy, partisan interests, delayed justice and what he described as troubling developments within the Nigerian Bar Association.
He said the recently concluded NBA election had further highlighted concerns about the association’s democratic processes and the need for urgent reforms.
“I have always believed that we, the members of the legal profession, hold the key to democratic growth and development,” Okutepa said.
The SAN urged practising lawyers to return to the ethical foundations of the profession and place justice above selfish, partisan or primordial interests.
He warned lawyers against deliberately presenting arguments in ways that could confuse or mislead courts and tribunals, stressing that professional advocacy must not become an instrument for frustrating justice.
“When we as lawyers argue causes and matters in the chameleon’s manner to impose injustice and pervert the cause of justice and produce unjust decisions, we murdered justice and enthroned evil,” he said.
Okutepa argued that such practices had contributed to the deterioration of Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence and created room for political actors to exploit weaknesses in the justice system.
He also charged judges to remain firm and independent in dealing with advocacy that seeks to distort the real issues before them.
Citing the late Justice Niki Tobi’s declaration in Abubakar v. Yar’Adua, Okutepa questioned whether enough members of the present-day judiciary could demonstrate the same level of independence.
“How many of our Judex today can boldly and confidently re-echo the above notable pronouncement?” he asked.
The senior lawyer stressed that while lawyers must defend their clients vigorously, no practitioner should knowingly mislead a court or tribunal under the guise of professional duty.
“No lawyer should act as a misleading minister in the temple of justice,” he said.
Okutepa further warned the NBA to act decisively to restore confidence in the profession before public frustration grows even deeper.
“The NBA must wake up and act decisively before Nigerians start stoning all Nigerian lawyers,” he cautioned, while stressing that he was not advocating violence.
He said lawyers must be conscious of the consequences of allowing professional standards to deteriorate, noting that public anger could eventually affect both ethical and unethical practitioners.
The SAN also identified delayed justice as one of Nigeria’s most serious institutional problems, arguing that the absence of timely remedies for victims of wrongdoing has created fertile ground for corruption and impunity.
“It is because of lack of immediate justice in Nigeria that impunity and corruption have become thriving businesses in Nigeria today,” he said.
According to him, no society can achieve meaningful political and economic development when its justice system is weakened by prolonged delays and decisions that undermine public confidence.
He further expressed concern that some judicial decisions appear to raise questions about the independence and effectiveness of the judiciary.
Okutepa maintained that an independent judiciary remains indispensable to democratic development.
“An independent judiciary is the cornerstone of democratic growth and development,” he said.
He therefore urged Nigerian lawyers to recognise that their responsibility extends beyond individual cases, stressing that the profession has a crucial role to play in preventing the erosion of democracy and the emergence of authoritarian rule.
“The duty on Nigerian lawyers to prevent democratic dictatorship is heavy indeed,” he said.