The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed has called on new lawyers to demonstrate the highest level of professional ethics and decorum wherever they find themselves.
The CJN who spoke at the call to bar of lawyers in Abuja reminded the new wigs that they would enounter challenges in the course of purusing their career.
"It may be that the issues of legal jurisprudence seem arcane or what the law says is at variance with your personal convictions. In times of difficulty, I urge you to seek the advice of counsel who are more experienced and equally respected colleagues to put you through" the CJN said.
Justice Mohammed reminded them that every discipline, profession, job, and calling had a cutting edge, which separated the progressive from the regressive that is, the wheat from the chaff and advise them to therefore opt for covering their career in laurels through hard work.
He said: "As Ministers in the Temple of Justice, you must learn to discern between right and wrong, ethical and unethical, so that you will stand on the side of justice by always speaking the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
"On this note I will address the ethical part of the Profession as embodied in the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners in Nigeria (RPC).
Permit me to strike a chord with you before unfolding some significant provisions of the Rules, which I believe, you were taught under the subject “Law in Practice” at the Nigerian Law School.
"I make bold to say that your strict adherence to the laid down rules is the foundation to a good practice at the bar. As such the provisions of these rules must be imprinted in your intellect at all times.
Practice as a Legal Practitioner
Rule 1 of the RPC provides that “a lawyer shall uphold and observe the Rule of Law, promote and foster the course of justice, maintain a high standard of professional conduct, and shall not engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of a Legal Practitioner."
He told them that anything short of the above provision would amount to professional misconduct.
The two days Call to Bar ceremonies came to a glorious end yesterday with the children of Minister of Works, Housing and Power , Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun among the 3,277 successful new wigs.
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