Interest of the Bar

The bedrock of any democracy is the principal fact that majority of the populace always have their say and way in the state of affairs irrespective of personal conviction, it becomes plutocracy when the few have the deciding power over the majority. By the definition above, a collective interest is when the rights, privileges, powers […]

The bedrock of any democracy is the principal fact that majority of the populace always have their say and way in the state of affairs irrespective of personal conviction, it becomes plutocracy when the few have the deciding power over the majority. By the definition above, a collective interest is when the rights, privileges, powers and immunities of majority of the populace are protected.
In NBA, the general meeting is the supreme making authority of the BAR i.e the interest of the BAR is what the majority of the house decides after constructive debates, this goes beyond any personal interest or grievance, it involves every party departing from their individual desires and ego to make positive decisions on behalf of the good of the BAR.
The interest of the Bar should be the development and improvement of the practise and welfare of majority of members of the BAR; it should be about making policies that would impact positively in the legal practise of young lawyers; it should be about transforming the image of the legal profession in the eyes of the ordinary citizen who seldom see lawyers as officers in the temple of justice; the interest of the BAR should be about providing viable avenues to continually safeguard the rule of law and not personal sentiment or political difference.
As a young lawyer, the focus of this piece would be the interest of the Bar as it affects a young lawyer, anyone who is considered fit and proper to be called to the Nigerian Bar Association automatically becomes a member of the Bar, knowing full well that time of call is of no essence though with respect to seniority.
No doubt some jurisdictions make policies that impact positively in the growth and welfare of a young lawyer by providing avenues to interact with the young lawyers’ plight and also listen when they have important observations and suggestions to make, unfortunately there also exist jurisdictions whose Bar either cares little or don’t care at all about how the young lawyer fares in the legal profession.
It is no longer news that some young lawyers in certain jurisdictions don’t have a functioning young lawyer’s forum to serve as ear and voices of the young lawyer; some only exist on paper with nothing in reality to show their existence. Take for instance NBA Kaduna branch that has a defacto chairman for more than two years and nothing is being done or questions asked why the said chairman has not formally called a congress and handed over affairs to a legitimate successor.
The legal profession being a noble and prestigious collection of learned minds commands a lot of esteem and respect from the general society, the common man on the street expects legal practitioners to be forerunners in following the law to the letter than any set of people in the country; the responsibility is on the general meeting to ensure that we stay on the right track by preserving the reputation as the last hope of the common man {officers in the temple of justice}.
The way and manner a young lawyer interacts with the lay society would show if his interest is part of the concern of the Bar; when majority of young lawyers in a jurisdiction keep looking tattered, shabby and hungry then something is missing.
There should be cooperatives for young lawyers to access loan in times of need; there should be policies mandating law firms to pay practising fees for young lawyers under their tutelage. It is little things that sometimes make the difference. Hardworking, dedicated and committed young lawyers who contribute one way or the other to the progress of a law firm should at least be encouraged, if not in cash, in kind.
A man is remembered by his deeds and contribution to life, Yahaya Mahmood {SAN} may the Almighty grant you peaceful passage to paradise, your contribution in the legal profession shall be not be forgotten.

Daniel Bulusson practices law in Kaduna