By the provisions of Paragraph 1 of the Guidelines
for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, 2017,
‘the Award of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is a
privilege awarded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal
profession who- (a) are in full time legal practice; (b) have
distinguished themselves as advocates; and (c) have made
significant contribution to the developments of the legal
profession in Nigeria’. Also, by Rule 26(1) of the Rules of
Professional Conducts for Legal Practitioners, 2007-herein after
referred to as RPC-, ‘Lawyers shall treat one another with respect,
fairness, consideration and dignity, and shall not allow any
ill-feeling between opposing clients to influence their conduct and
demeanor towards one another or towards the opposing clients‘. And
by the provisions of Rule 27(1) of the RPC, ‘A lawyer shall observe
good faith and fairness in dealing with other
lawyers’.
This paper is an attempt at most humbly appealing to the Senior
Advocates of Nigeria-herein after referred to as SANs- (without
mentioning any name) to always be humble to young lawyers.
The writer of this paper has observed the attitudes and
disposition of some learned men in silk to young lawyers and was
really not impressed by those characters.
Some of them, with due respect, present themselves as
unapproachable, especially to young lawyers. For instance, there
are at least two (2) different occasions that the writer of this
paper had approached some SANs in courts most humbly to ask just
some few questions to seek their views and or opinions per their
position and expertise on some purely legal issues disturbing him.
However, the reactions and or feedbacks he got were not encouraging
at all. In fact, upon greetings to them, the way and manner of
answering such greetings were very discouraging. How would one feel
when one approaches a SAN in a Court and greets him not even being
aware of the purpose of greetings, but answers ‘Yes, what do you
want?!’. Or what is the problem?! And these greetings were made to
the one greeting with a frowning face?! These attitudes are
becoming applicable to some of the SANs. In fact, the writer of
this paper has as a result, been discouraged from any further
approach to any SAN to ask the least of questions. Even the manner
of answering and or replying questions is with due respect,
suspected to be in an arrogant and proud manner. It will be rather
preferable to ask a senior lawyer who is not SAN than to ask any
SAN because of the responses one gets from some of them, the writer
of this paper most humbly submits. The feelings that one gets is
like one is too young to approach the SAN or that the SAN is not
approachable!
After a lot of observations on this conduct of some of the SANs,
the writer of this paper came across one SAN one day in court and
observed his reactions to some lawyers who are not SANs. In fact,
when this SAN entered the court, he did not dress as a SAN until
when he entered the court. He and the other lawyers who are not
SANs, though, they might have been from his office, discussed,
laughed, and shared ideas and he (the SAN) listened to them. The
writer of this paper was very happy at such humble qualities of
that SAN. It was then that the writer of this paper got the
impression that to be humble is personal and individual.
Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to admonish all SANs,
with utmost humility, to always make themselves available for young
lawyers to be proud and confident of asking them some few questions
and this raises their profile before those young lawyers. In fact,
there is nothing wrong if SANs are humble to the extent of giving a
lift to young lawyers in their vehicle where there is no fear of
insecurity. And there is nothing wrong if SANs offer some token
amount of money to young lawyers whether known or unknown as a form
of gift as they are aware that young lawyers would definitely be in
need of finances considering the challenges confronting young
lawyers in Nigeria in term of finances.
Furthermore, the writer of this paper seeks the permission of
the reader of this paper to utilize the medium and opportunity of
this paper to discuss the Nigerian Bar Association’ Branches’
leadership conflicts especially in the Abuja (Unity Bar)
Branch.
It is a Yoruba adage that ‘there is peace where
there are elders’. If one were to actually inquire
who the elders in the Legal Profession in Nigeria are? The answer
would definitely be the SANs and Judicial officers! For almost two
(2) years to this period, the conflicts surrounding the leadership
of the Chairmanship and the Secretary offices have been on-going
and seeming rather impossible to resolve. It is observable that
there are more than fifty (50) SANs in Nigeria, to under estimate.
And the writer of this paper is aware that SANs also have an
association. That is why it is submitted by the writer of this
paper that the on-going conflicts, despite that there are some of
these issues being instituted in courts, amicable settlement is
seeming unrealistic.
The effects of these conflicts cannot be over emphasized.
Programmes in the Branch NBA are being affected. Lawyers’
relationships too are being affected as some are lawyers in one
faction while some are in the other faction and some are neither
here nor there as a result of the Branch’s conflicts. Nevertheless,
the writer of this paper hopes that the SANs with their
distinguished honour, professional expertise and elderly
experiences would work towards resolving these disputes in no
time.
Therefore, the writer of this paper hereby calls on SANs to put
in their utmost best and efforts to prevail upon the current
situations in the Conflicts arising in the NBA Abuja Branch for the
continuity and preservation of unity and progress in the legal
profession. It is also the noble view of the writer of this paper
that where SANs all join hands together to call and or invite the
concerned persons and the NBA National leadership together to
resolve the conflicts, it will definitely be resolved. Or are we
saying that SANs cannot talk to the concerned persons as elders in
the legal profession or that they cannot resolve and or are not
capable of resolving such internal conflicts?! Definitely No!
Finally, it is the belief of the writer of this paper that the
highly distinguished personality profile of the SANs in the legal
profession if utilized in the interest of unity and progress of the
legal profession and without any sense of bias or fear or favour,
the whole conflicts will in no time be resolved amicably. And it is
hoped that the SANs will create such an everlasting good
relationship between them and young lawyers so that there will be
no distance existing between them and the young lawyers in the
legal profession.
e-mail: hameed_ajibola@yahoo.com
By the provisions of Paragraph 1 of the Guidelines
for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, 2017,
‘the Award of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is a
privilege awarded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal
profession who- (a) are in full time legal practice; (b) have
distinguished themselves as advocates; and (c) have made
significant contribution to the developments of the legal
profession in Nigeria’. Also, by Rule 26(1) of the Rules of
Professional Conducts for Legal Practitioners, 2007-herein after
referred to as RPC-, ‘Lawyers shall treat one another with respect,
fairness, consideration and dignity, and shall not allow any
ill-feeling between opposing clients to influence their conduct and
demeanor towards one another or towards the opposing clients‘. And
by the provisions of Rule 27(1) of the RPC, ‘A lawyer shall observe
good faith and fairness in dealing with other
lawyers’.
This paper is an attempt at most humbly appealing to the Senior
Advocates of Nigeria-herein after referred to as SANs- (without
mentioning any name) to always be humble to young lawyers.
The writer of this paper has observed the attitudes and
disposition of some learned men in silk to young lawyers and was
really not impressed by those characters.
Some of them, with due respect, present themselves as
unapproachable, especially to young lawyers. For instance, there
are at least two (2) different occasions that the writer of this
paper had approached some SANs in courts most humbly to ask just
some few questions to seek their views and or opinions per their
position and expertise on some purely legal issues disturbing him.
However, the reactions and or feedbacks he got were not encouraging
at all. In fact, upon greetings to them, the way and manner of
answering such greetings were very discouraging. How would one feel
when one approaches a SAN in a Court and greets him not even being
aware of the purpose of greetings, but answers ‘Yes, what do you
want?!’. Or what is the problem?! And these greetings were made to
the one greeting with a frowning face?! These attitudes are
becoming applicable to some of the SANs. In fact, the writer of
this paper has as a result, been discouraged from any further
approach to any SAN to ask the least of questions. Even the manner
of answering and or replying questions is with due respect,
suspected to be in an arrogant and proud manner. It will be rather
preferable to ask a senior lawyer who is not SAN than to ask any
SAN because of the responses one gets from some of them, the writer
of this paper most humbly submits. The feelings that one gets is
like one is too young to approach the SAN or that the SAN is not
approachable!
After a lot of observations on this conduct of some of the SANs,
the writer of this paper came across one SAN one day in court and
observed his reactions to some lawyers who are not SANs. In fact,
when this SAN entered the court, he did not dress as a SAN until
when he entered the court. He and the other lawyers who are not
SANs, though, they might have been from his office, discussed,
laughed, and shared ideas and he (the SAN) listened to them. The
writer of this paper was very happy at such humble qualities of
that SAN. It was then that the writer of this paper got the
impression that to be humble is personal and individual.
Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to admonish all SANs,
with utmost humility, to always make themselves available for young
lawyers to be proud and confident of asking them some few questions
and this raises their profile before those young lawyers. In fact,
there is nothing wrong if SANs are humble to the extent of giving a
lift to young lawyers in their vehicle where there is no fear of
insecurity. And there is nothing wrong if SANs offer some token
amount of money to young lawyers whether known or unknown as a form
of gift as they are aware that young lawyers would definitely be in
need of finances considering the challenges confronting young
lawyers in Nigeria in term of finances.
Furthermore, the writer of this paper seeks the permission of
the reader of this paper to utilize the medium and opportunity of
this paper to discuss the Nigerian Bar Association’ Branches’
leadership conflicts especially in the Abuja (Unity Bar)
Branch.
It is a Yoruba adage that ‘there is peace where
there are elders’. If one were to actually inquire
who the elders in the Legal Profession in Nigeria are? The answer
would definitely be the SANs and Judicial officers! For almost two
(2) years to this period, the conflicts surrounding the leadership
of the Chairmanship and the Secretary offices have been on-going
and seeming rather impossible to resolve. It is observable that
there are more than fifty (50) SANs in Nigeria, to under estimate.
And the writer of this paper is aware that SANs also have an
association. That is why it is submitted by the writer of this
paper that the on-going conflicts, despite that there are some of
these issues being instituted in courts, amicable settlement is
seeming unrealistic.
The effects of these conflicts cannot be over emphasized.
Programmes in the Branch NBA are being affected. Lawyers’
relationships too are being affected as some are lawyers in one
faction while some are in the other faction and some are neither
here nor there as a result of the Branch’s conflicts. Nevertheless,
the writer of this paper hopes that the SANs with their
distinguished honour, professional expertise and elderly
experiences would work towards resolving these disputes in no
time.
Therefore, the writer of this paper hereby calls on SANs to put
in their utmost best and efforts to prevail upon the current
situations in the Conflicts arising in the NBA Abuja Branch for the
continuity and preservation of unity and progress in the legal
profession. It is also the noble view of the writer of this paper
that where SANs all join hands together to call and or invite the
concerned persons and the NBA National leadership together to
resolve the conflicts, it will definitely be resolved. Or are we
saying that SANs cannot talk to the concerned persons as elders in
the legal profession or that they cannot resolve and or are not
capable of resolving such internal conflicts?! Definitely No!
Finally, it is the belief of the writer of this paper that the
highly distinguished personality profile of the SANs in the legal
profession if utilized in the interest of unity and progress of the
legal profession and without any sense of bias or fear or favour,
the whole conflicts will in no time be resolved amicably. And it is
hoped that the SANs will create such an everlasting good
relationship between them and young lawyers so that there will be
no distance existing between them and the young lawyers in the
legal profession.
e-mail: hameed_ajibola@yahoo.com