Legal Marriage: A Recommended Ambition For Every Lawyer By Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq.

Marriage though, is a union between the couples, the roles and
duties of lawyers make marriage a mandatory ambition for every
lawyer. This paper is a brief piece of advice for lawyers not to
underestimate marriage conducted according to the legal procedures
and to make that as their ambition.

As far as Nigerian Legal System is concerned, marriage (legal
marriage) can be in three different forms vis-à-vis: marriage
conducted under the Marriage Act; marriage conducted in accordance
with the Islamic Law of Marriage (Personal Law); and marriage
conducted under the Customary laws or tradition. Any of these three
forms of marriages have the legal backup of the law. Each of them
is a form of legal marriage. A lawyer may choose whichever that he
prefers either based on his religious belief or based on his
custom. Some lawyers might even not understand, with due respect to
them, that marriage under the customary law or traditional marriage
is a form of legal marriage when properly conducted according to
such custom or tradition. Some might even not understand that
pre-marital sex between intending couples are even prohibited under
genuine custom or tradition. In fact, some customs or traditions
frown at such misconduct and term it as an abomination! In fact, in
some customs or traditions, the gods must be appeased with
sacrifices and they even count it against the family where such
female comes out from (though, this misconduct is majorly blamed on
the woman rather than the man!). So, no matter how a man is pressed
for sex, it is the most honourable for him as a lawyer or in the
case of a woman who is a lawyer, to do the honourable thing by
considering marriage rather than illicit sexual relationship!

Furthermore, marriage might seem much cost as being unbearable,
but illicit sexual relationship costs more and its price could even
cost the lawyer his profession or his life! For instance, few years
a go, I had defended a lady that alleged that he was raped by a
lawyer. The lady was a snacks seller in the premises of the High
Court of the FCT-Abuja where the lawyer always performed his
professional duties of appearing in court and used to patronize the
said lady. Then, one day, (and one night), the man who had used
style to collect the lady’s phone contact, left Abuja to meet her
at Nasarawa State and lured the her into a hotel and forcefully
raped her several times despite the lady’s shout and pleas! The
matter was reported to the police and the lawyer was arrested while
still trying to do the same the second time and turn the lady to
his sex machine! He was arrested in Abuja and taken to Nasarawa
State (the scene of the crime) and there and then, the story went
on. The issue here is how such a lawyer has made himself so
dishonored and so low to have out of every other reputable
individuals, even among his lawyer friends or colleagues, only be
attracted to such snacks seller! The truth is that, marriage is
much more advisable for a lawyer and much more honouring!

Furthermore, Rule 1 of the Rules of Professional
Conducts for Legal Practitioners, 2007-herein after referred to as
the RPC- is a leading code for lawyers which provides thus ‘A
lawyer shall uphold and observe the rule of law, promote and foster
the cause of justice, maintain a high standard of professional
conduct, and shall not engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of
a legal practitioner’.  (Underlining is mine for
emphasis). So, the issue of legal marriage is
nonnegotiable for every lawyer!

Nevertheless, I must pick out important observation in these
three marriages. A lawyer should know that if he marries under the
Marriage Act, there are consequences which means that it is a union
of one man-one wife. Also, if he marries under the Islamic Law of
Marriage, it is a marriage that entitles a man to marry up to four
(4) wives under his control. And marriage under customs or
traditions is governed by its principles. The only thing that I
have observed is that, depending on the custom or tradition, the
man is allowed to marry wives up to an indefinite number so far he
can finance them in the marriage. So, it remains the best for a
lawyer (both male and female) to sit down and know what type of
marriage that he or she would like to conduct. In any case, any of
the three marriages is a legal marriage and is supported by
law.

Finally, it is hoped that this brief piece of advice would guide
lawyers towards a fulfilled life! I also congratulate those lawyers
who have the ambition to do the legal marriage and I pray that God
Almighty will assist them towards achieving their ambition!

Email: [email protected]^[1]

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