Chief Folake Solanke, SAN has decried the treatment of young
lawyers by some of their employer- law firms and declared that
“Lawyers are not slaves!” She stated this in her
chairman’s opening remarks at the milestone celebrations of Dele
Adesina, SAN on 22nd February 2018 at the Muson Centre
Lagos. According to her she received reports from young lawyers in
Ibadan and at the 2017 NBA conference in Lagos complaining that
they were not being paid for their work while undergoing
pupilage.
In her remarks Mrs. Solanke stated that
“this is wrong for lawyers traditionally, they are not expected
to render service without remuneration; … lawyers are paid by their
clients so lawyers in pupilage should be paid. New lawyers incur
expenses during pupilage to wit: for rent, food, transportation,
books, apparel, etc. In defence of lawyers in pupilage I declare
that lawyers are not slaves. Only slaves work for no pay or very
poor pay… A lawyer is certainly not the property of a learned
senior or any other person. When I was in pupilage I was paid…
Thus, I employ all senior members who utilize the services of
lawyers in pupilage to pay them adequately. Lawyers are not like
the African illegal immigrants who are currently being sold into
slavery in Libya in this 21st Century.”
From her statements Chief Solanke was referring to pupilage in a
general meaning of employment of fresh lawyers in the Country.
It would be recalled that in press statements and presentations
in the past Prof Ernest Ojukwu had argued
that the profession must prescribe and enforce minimum wage for
lawyers and that “pupilage without minimum salary is sure
slavery for young lawyers”. The proposed Legal Profession
Regulation Act prescribed two years mandatory pupilage but does not
prescribe imposition of mandatory minimum wage.
In England under the pupilage programme there is a prescribed
mandatory minimum wage of 1000 British Pounds.
Chief Folake Solanke, SAN has decried the treatment of young
lawyers by some of their employer- law firms and declared that
“Lawyers are not slaves!” She stated this in her
chairman’s opening remarks at the milestone celebrations of Dele
Adesina, SAN on 22nd February 2018 at the Muson Centre
Lagos. According to her she received
reports from young lawyers in Ibadan and at the 2017 NBA conference
in Lagos complaining that they were not being paid for their work
while undergoing pupilage.
In her remarks Mrs. Solanke stated that
“this is wrong for lawyers traditionally, they are not expected
to render service without remuneration; … lawyers are paid by their
clients so lawyers in pupilage should be paid. New lawyers incur
expenses during pupilage to wit: for rent, food, transportation,
books, apparel, etc. In defence of lawyers in pupilage I declare
that lawyers are not slaves. Only slaves work for no pay or very
poor pay… A lawyer is certainly not the property of a learned
senior or any other person. When I was in pupilage I was paid…
Thus, I employ all senior members who utilize the services of
lawyers in pupilage to pay them adequately. Lawyers are not like
the African illegal immigrants who are currently being sold into
slavery in Libya in this 21st Century.”
From her statements Chief Solanke was referring to pupilage in a
general meaning of employment of fresh lawyers in the Country.
It would be recalled that in press statements and presentations
in the past Prof Ernest Ojukwu had argued
that the profession must prescribe and enforce minimum wage for
lawyers and that “pupilage without minimum salary is sure
slavery for young lawyers”. The proposed Legal Profession
Regulation Act prescribed two years mandatory pupilage but does not
prescribe imposition of mandatory minimum wage.
In England under the pupilage programme there is a prescribed
mandatory minimum wage of 1000 British Pounds.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/chief-solanke-san-pupilage-lawyers-are-not-slaves/