Brief Writing: Hon. Justice Centus Nweze Charges Lawyers To Gain Mastery Of Art

A Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Honourable Justice
Centus Nweze, has charged lawyers who are not skilled in brief
writing to strive to gain mastery of the art.

He made this charge while speaking at the “State Counsel Forum”
hosted by the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice Academy, held in
Ado-Ekiti.

Nweze, whose presentation was titled “Random thoughts on
Effective Brief Writing” said that “a good brief inevitably
attracts, holds and captures the attention and interest of the
Judge”.

According to the Learned Justice of the Supreme Court, although
oratorial prowess was previously a great assest in advocacy, but
due to the great changes which have been wrought in court rules,
proficiency in the presentation of briefs had taken the place of
brilliancy in oral advocacy.

Nweze, quoting copiously from the case of Dibiamaka and Ors V
Osakwe and ors (1989) 3 NWLR ( pt 107) stressed that unlike in oral
advocacy where counsel may be tempted to beat about the bush, a
good brief operates like an invaluable navigational aid: a compass
which ought to guide counsel’s presentation.

He said, “the new regime of advocacy, therefore, challenges
advocates to redefine their grammar: minding the traditional
pitfalls in syntax and punctuation, following the rules governing
multiple and terminal punctuation, adverbial and adjectival clauses
and phrases, and interjections, transition verbs and similar
elements”.

He advised lawyers in the Ministry to avoid a brief writing
style that was wordy, unclear, pompous and dull.

Earlier in his welcome statement, the State Attorney-General and
Commissioner for Justice, Olawale Fapohunda said that the Ministry
of Justice Academy was established to enhance the professional
development of all those who work in the Ministry of Justice.

Fapohunda said that the Academy had developed a curriculum that
was responsive to the career progression of staff of the Ministry.
According to him, the Ministry of Justice Academy will continue to
invite prominent legal personalities to share their perspectives on
topical legal issues.

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