Should Senators, Reps get ‘automatic’ SAN titles?
Gimba Kakanda, an activist, says SAN is meant to be a professional achievement and recognition of a lawyer’s distinction in the practice of Law. Does this also include young and inexperienced lawyers who haven’t even practiced long enough for consideration as is the criterion? Also, you and I know that Nigerian politics isn’t exactly a […]
Gimba Kakanda, an activist, says SAN is meant to be a professional achievement and recognition of a lawyer’s distinction in the practice of Law. Does this also include young and inexperienced lawyers who haven’t even practiced long enough for consideration as is the criterion? Also, you and I know that Nigerian politics isn’t exactly a place for the morally upright. The system is designed to smear you, and to get you going against your principles in abiding by the unwritten rules of real politics. So, by personal inference, having lawyers in the legislative chambers conferred with the rank of SAN may question the nobility of this highest of lawyers’ goals. Let’s just call on the committee in charge of this to only recognize the exceptional lawyers found worthy of the rank, and not just any character who amassed wealth in the practice of Law, enough to buy his or her way into the centre of Nigerian politics. As for Senators and Representatives who have contributed to Law, the committee should reach out to them, wherever they are, if found qualified based on existing criteria. Automatic conferment means bastardizing the rank, and that will be too much dishonour to the legal profession. And don’t forget that some lawyers opted for politics, having lost interest in the profession. Being addressed as ‘Senator’ and ‘Honourable’, which sticks even after their tenure is over, is enough recognition to brag about.
Christiana Umanah, a lawyer, says they know that it is not realistic. To be a SAN has its price and it is stipulated in the ethics of the profession. You must distinguish yourself; you must have appeared about seven times at the Supreme Court and win at least three of the cases. You know how long it takes a case to end in the high court, talk more of the Supreme Court. It takes years, and then you must have gathered some good experience.
The second option is to distinguish yourself in the academics by publishing books. You will then apply and a committee of seasoned lawyers – they are called life benches, will screen you. If you are qualified for it they will give you, but if you have any questionable character or dent in your image you will be disqualified.
Anas Adamu Galadima, a civil servant in his thirties; “My view on it is that law making is different from advocacy and legal practice which earns someone the SAN title. As such, they should not be given automatic SAN just because they won election to become lawmakers. If they want SAN they should leave the National Assembly and go to court and practice. If they want to remain at the National Assembly, then they should strive to distinguish themselves so as to earn a national honour such as MON, CFR, MFR, etc.”
Lanre Hamza, a businessman; “What rationale would there be for that to happen? A senator who is there just because he got elected by the people? How does that make him worthy of a SAN?
Egbain Jessica Samuel, 28, a secretary, “I don’t think many of those senators and House members are still practicing, besides being a SAN entails a lot. They should just stick with representing their constituencies very well because that is what they’ve signed up for. If they wanted to be advocates for justice then they should have just remained as lawyers and not meddle into politics.”
Hamza Audu Idowu, producer/presenter KSMC; “Are they okay? How many were called to bar before joining politics? If any of them had served for the specific period before going into politics they can be considered, otherwise no.”
Loveth Edward, 26, an architect, “The first question I think they should ask is how many titles they want to hold. I don’t want to sound biased but are they qualified. I understand that one of the requirements for being a SAN is winning a number of cases at the Supreme Court, amongst other rules. If the senators or House of Representatives members have met the stipulated requirement, then they can be given, but if not they should work towards it as other lawyers who are SAN did.”
Aliyu Musa, lecturer at Coventry University London; says I personally do not think it is proper for anyone to want to bypass the requirements to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria simply because they are now a member of the House of Reps or Senate. They claim they do more work than their colleagues that are awarded SAN so they should be awarded too. I completely disagree with this because in reality they do no serious work and get overpaid. Most of them for the entire life of the NASS do not sponsor any bill and therefore do not contribute in any way to lawmaking which would have been the basis for their argument. And because no bills are sponsored, none is passed into law, again making a mockery of the job they offered themselves to do. On the few occasions bills were sponsored in the past they made a mockery of the procedure. I cite the case of the 46 bills the 7th Senate passed on June 3, 2015. The whole process that required rigorous reading, observations before being passed was not strictly adhered to and in less than a quarter of an hour they had passed all 46 bills. This is not something to be proud of and should not be cited as a reference for hard and meticulous work. Again, they spend more time on recess than they do on the job. So, is that what they want to be rewarded for? They definitely need to sit up.
Oshio Ahmed, an accountant in his thirties, “If they are qualified and have met with the requirements for which a lawyer can be given the title SAN, then they should be given. After all they worked for it and deserve to get the title like any other person who gets it.”