What to post on social media

The cyber generation is blessed with an invention called the social media to ease networking, bonding and communication between individuals irrespective of how far apart they are to each other. Mark Zuckerberg is a billionaire today because of the patronage and acceptance facebook got from the world when it hit the market, then came along […]

The cyber generation is blessed with an invention called the social media to ease networking, bonding and communication between individuals irrespective of how far apart they are to each other. Mark Zuckerberg is a billionaire today because of the patronage and acceptance facebook got from the world when it hit the market, then came along whatsapp. As long as one has a phone number of another individual with devices empowered to accept the app, you can chat with the person almost instantaneously irrespective of location. We also have Instagram, Snapchat, twitter, BBM et al which provides an avenue for people to share their status, pictures, feelings and emotions to the world.
Some have complained that this social media is not being put to adequate and appropriate use in Nigeria by the youths and needs regulating. In the legal profession the drafters of the Rules of Professional Conduct did not envisage the influence of the social media to the legal profession, and so there is no specific provision as to what a lawyer ought to or not post to the world using any of the social media platform.
The closest being Rules 46 of the RPC which provides for press, radio and television: “A lawyer may write articles for publications, or participate in radio and television programmes in which he gives information of the law… A lawyer shall not take steps to procure the publication of his photograph as a lawyer to the press or any periodicals” which in my humble opinion, doesn’t cover publishing of photographs as a lawyer on social media platforms.
Does this now mean that a young lawyer is free to post whatever he likes, be it good or bad, on his social media platform? True the young lawyer has the inalienable right to do so and I don’t think such right should be regulated, but then a lawyer must make use of this opportunity to enlighten the public about the importance of the service of a lawyer to the society.
A lawyer’s post on social media platforms, for all intents and purposes, must be different from that of a layman. We have a lot to offer the society and instead of using the social media platforms to just take pictures and share personal feelings and experiences, we should go a little further to be an example by sharing posts that would help enlighten the public about the law, current affairs, politics, state of the nation et al.
In doing this, we must also be careful, like criticising judgments of the court on these platforms. It doesn’t help the public to understand the true meaning and implications of the judgment but rather whip up sentiments on the public’s mind as to why the judgment went this way and not the other way. This sentimental feeling is not what we should be encouraging the society to have but a true appreciation of the wisdom of the learned judges and justices as reflected in the judgments. It is understood that not all judgments must be in favour of all, the aggrieved parties have a right of appeal, it would do everyone good if we reserve our dissatisfaction to the appropriate appeal court and seek relief there, not the social media.
Restoring the citizens’ confidence in the judiciary is a responsibility of both the Bar and the Bench. A young lawyer can also play a part by using the social media to disseminate information about the operation of the law in Nigeria to friends and followers – you need not advertise yourself as a lawyer. The kind of post and picture you share to the world should show what a gentleman you are.
This does not mean that legal practitioners are not allowed to update personal post and pictures on their wall, NO, I am saying we should be our own censorship board when it comes to the content value of what we let the world know through our platforms. This would help in changing the perspective of the society about law and its operation in Nigeria.
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