Former CJN calls for modernisation of law profession

Uwais who stood in for Justice Dahiru Musdapher, the immediate past CJN, was the chairman at the 2013 state of the legal profession lecture organised by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) which took place last Tuesday in Abuja. He said that law practice was over 100 years in Nigeria and needed some […]

Uwais who stood in for Justice Dahiru Musdapher, the immediate past CJN, was the chairman at the 2013 state of the legal profession lecture organised by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) which took place last Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that law practice was over 100 years in Nigeria and needed some modernisation.
He said the bodies to modernise the legal profession are the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Body of Benchers (BOB), Nigerian Law School (NLS) and the Council for Legal Education.
He lamented the absence of large law firms in Nigeria adding that in the USA there are law firms employing between 500 – 1000.
In his welcome address, Prof. Epiphany Azinge SAN, DG NIALS also lamented the decline in professionalism.
In his lecture, entitled: “Modernising legal practice in Nigeria: Challenges and prospects”, Chief Joe – Kyari Gadzama SAN charged lawyers to be honest to their clients, their opponents, the court and to themselves.
He described lawyers as leaders who should have zero tolerance for corruption, adding that if lawyers do not get it right, Nigeria cannot get it right.
Chief Gadzama stressed the need for complete overhaul of Nigeria’s legal education system, to incorporate pupilage training, if the country must achieve  the desired growth in law practice.
He suggested the merger of law firms, with a view to pulling-in resources to encourage growth in the legal profession.