Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged lawyers to name and shame colleagues whose actions ridicule the rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).
Osinbajo made the call in Lagos on Saturday at the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), 2021 Annual Dinner and Scholarship Awards.
The VP charged BOSAN and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to ensure members remained disciplined and continue to conduct themselves appropriately.
He decried the perception that some lawyers have developed unhealthy relationships meant to influence cases.
Osinbajo expressed concern that even younger members of the profession were doing the same thing.
“It is time to commit to calling out those whose actions demean the ranks of SAN and ensure that they are brought before the appropriate disciplinary body.
“We must not allow a situation where the rank is demeaned because the public belief that some of those in our ranks actually corrupt the judicial system.’’
Osinbajo stated that the system of justice is a public resource that does not belong to the legal profession.
“It belongs to the people. We, lawyers and judges, are paid operators of a service that our constitution created to resolve their disputes and give justice.”
He said if the system does not work effectively on account of delays or discredit due to corruption, legal practitioners have moral and civic obligations to fix it.
Citing Proverbs 31 vs 8 in the Bible, Osinbajo advised BOSAN members to always stand for the voiceless and the vulnerable.
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