Many Nigerian lawyers, according to law professor Charles Adekoya, are unable to operate in the UK because of their propensity for shady dealings and unethical behaviour.
Many Nigerian lawyers, according to Adekoya, would have had their licences revoked or punished for engaging in improper conduct.
He said unprofessional conduct is viewed very strictly in the UK, “a Barrister could be sanctioned for unnecessarily appealing against a concluded matter or for bringing an appeal that is baseless, including the award of cost and report to the regulatory body which might lead to the Barrister being debarred.”
Interlocutory filings, which are common among Nigerian attorneys, are rarely filed because of the potential drawbacks for the attorney, according to the don.
“Many of our colleagues could not practise in the UK as they would have had costs awarded against them or even lose their licences on grounds of unethical or professional misconduct,” he stated unequivocally.
Adekoya, who is the Olabisi Onabanjo University’s (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Administration, called for harsher sanctions, including the suspension of a lawyer’s right to practise.
Adekoya expressed concern that the public had lost faith in the country’s justice system and attributed this to a number of ethical transgressions committed by attorneys and judicial officials.
The professor stated that ”corruption and unethical practices have suffocated the administration of civil justice in Nigeria.” while presenting the 103rd OOU Inaugural Lecture.
In the lecture titled ‘Betrayal of the Poor in Accessing Justice in Nigeria: The Judas in our Midst,’ the lecturer bemoaned the “humongous challenges” that the poor face in getting access to justice in Nigeria and warned that a lack of access to justice could lead the less fortunate members of society to resort to violent mass protests, similar to the EndSARS protest in 2020.
The law professor expressed sorrow that many Nigerians who seek justice “often quickly abandon their matters due to the harrowing and frustrating way Nigeria’s justice system work.” during the inaugural lecture, which was presided over by the university’s vice chancellor, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola.
In his recommendations, he called for a review of the law curriculum, citing the need for legal education to concentrate on the development of empathy in law students in order for them to understand the emotional needs not only of their clients but also of parties before them when they become judicial officers.
