2 hours ago
1
The Nigerian Law Society, NLS, has threatened court action if the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, fails to refer the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Afam Osigwe, SAN, to the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, LPPC.
The NLS, an association comprising non-litigation lawyers, is also demanding that the CJN, who heads the LPPC, enacts a practice direction to impose sanctions on lawyers who commit acts of professional misconduct inside courtrooms.
The Society had faulted the NBA President for issuing statements to reprimand judges for taking punitive actions against lawyers who allegedly acted unprofessionally in court. In one of such cases, Justice Mohammed Umar of the Abuja Federal High Court ordered Marshall Abubakar, the lead defence counsel to politician and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, to step forward and kneel in open court for raising his voice during proceedings.
Reacting to the development, NBA, in a statement issued by Osigwe, condemned the judge’s action, stressing that he has no right to ask a lawyer to kneel in court.
Faulting the NBA’s position, NLS proposed that lawyers who engage in unprofessional conduct in court should be sentenced to undergo anger management therapy.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Law Society has taken its campaign against unethical conduct in the legal profession a step further by warning that it would go to court to seek redress if the CJN fails to refer the NBA President to the LPPC, and enact a direction to impose sanctions on lawyers who commit acts of professional misconduct inside courtrooms.
In a letter addressed to the CJN, signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, the NLS stressed the need to address misconduct in the legal profession.
“In a speech delivered sometime in March 2025, Your Lordship the Chief Justice of Nigeria identified that the increasing number of litigation lawyers involved in acts of professional misconduct represents a threat to the edifice or temple of justice.
“The said speech was based on empirical evidence supplied by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee-LPDC.
“In another report dated 28th March 2026, Femi Falana, SAN, supplied additional empirical evidence of how some litigation lawyers are destroying the edifice and temple of justice by their acts of unprofessional conduct.
“The two aforementioned empirical reports are a call to action from both the Office of Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and the National Judicial Council (NJC) respectively.
“This is because both the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and other relevant laws, identifies and empowers the judiciary as the protector and the last bastion for upholding the edifice named the temple of justice.
“Therefore, by a letter dated 17th March 2026, the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) requested the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to refer Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC). The evidence and particulars of his alleged unprofessional conduct which includes public reprimand of a judge of the Federal High Court Abuja was enclosed in the said letter.”
The lawyers’ association noted that the purpose of such referral is to discourage other litigation lawyers who may contemplate engaging in similar acts of professional misconduct.
NLS added that, via an email letter dated 28th March 2026, it urged the CJN and other Heads of Courts in Nigeria to enact practice directions and other relevant subsidiary legislation which would empower Nigerian judges to impose sanctions upon lawyers. “This is with a view to tackling the menace of increasing reports of acts of professional misconduct committed by some Nigerian lawyers when they appear either physically or virtually before Nigerian courts and judges,” the letter explained.
It further explained that the new practice directions have become a necessity considering that it appears that current legislation relating to contempt of court are not sufficient to keep Nigerian lawyers within the “borders of sanity”.
The Society notified the CJN of its intention to file a lawsuit over the matter if the demands are not met, by April 1, 2026.
“We now write this final letter to put it on record that by April 1st 2026, the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) shall commence a lawsuit against both the CJN and the NJC to compel both institutions to take steps to protect the reputation, sanctity and sanity of the edifice of “temple of justice” (or at least what is left of it).
“We sincerely hope that such litigation becomes unnecessary hopeful that both the CJN and the NJC would at least make a public statement confirming that they have taken the necessary steps.”
Refer NBA President to LPPC, impose sanctions on erring lawyers or face court action – NLS to CJN
