Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Branch, Uchenna Ogunedo Akingbade, has called on legal practitioners to recommit themselves to the values that define the legal profession.

She urged lawyers to rise to the demands of a rapidly evolving society. She spoke at the 2025 Annual Dinner of the NBA Lagos Branch, which was held over the weekend in Lagos.

Akingbade said the dinner was not merely a social gathering, but a solemn continuation of the historic traditions of the legal profession.

Referencing the night’s theme: “Casino Royale: The masked bond tales,” as a metaphor, she drew parallels between the glamour of the concept and the risky nature of legal practice.

She said: “To many, our theme may simply suggest glamour, intrigue, and a festive dress code. But I see something deeper. It mirrors the high-stakes nature of our profession.

“As lawyers, we are architects of strategy, guardians of discretion, and unwavering defenders of justice.

“Every case we handle is a gamble where the currency is integrity, knowledge, and courage.”

She emphasised that the practice of law requires resilience, discipline, and a renewed commitment to professional ethics.

“Our keynote topic, ‘Reawakening professional ethics and restoring the honour of the legal profession’, could not be timelier.

“We are at a critical juncture marked by erosion of long-standing values, disruptive technologies, shifting norms, generational realignments, and a society increasingly sceptical of institutions.

“This moment demands reflection. It demands courage. It demands leadership.”

Akingbade emphasised the responsibility of legal practitioners to defend the rule of law and safeguard the reputation of the Bar.

“We must rediscover the values that shaped our profession – integrity, competence, accountability, and collegiality.

“And where traditions require refinement, we must adapt without losing our identity. The future of our profession depends on the choices we make today.”

She reiterated her administration’s vision of “A Bar Without Barriers” – a concept she described as a united, inclusive, and progressive legal community.

“It is a Bar of limitless possibility, unity, and inclusiveness; one where elders and young lawyers co-exist in mutual respect; where litigators, commercial practitioners, academics, and in-house counsel all find a home.

“It is a Bar that rejects artificial limitations and speaks boldly for the rule of law. This is the Lagos Bar we are building – one decision at a time.”

Highlighting the achievements of her administration so far, Akingbade noted efforts in rule of law advocacy, capacity building for members, support programmes for young lawyers, expanded knowledge-sharing platforms, sports and wellness initiatives, strengthening of regulatory frameworks against illegal practice, the forthcoming Local Secondment Programme scheduled for rollout in the first quarter of 2026, among others.

She said the Annual Dinner remained a reaffirmation of the distinguished heritage of the legal profession and a reminder of the burden of responsibility that every lawyer bears.

Akingbade said the Bar must continue to evolve while holding firmly to the values that have sustained it for generations.

Keynote speaker, Charles Candide-Johnson (SAN), called for urgent and far-reaching disciplinary reforms.

He said the integrity of the legal profession is being eroded by a pattern of misconduct, delay tactics, and a lack of accountability among those expected to model the highest ethical standards.

The SAN said: “I was asked by a layman friend a few days ago whether senior advocates in Nigeria have a special training in deception, delay, and diversion.”

Candide-Johnson noted that public confidence in the legal system has been weakened by a growing belief that senior advocates are trained in “deception, delay, and diversion.”

According to him, there is now a widespread sentiment within the legal community that senior lawyers have become “the major problem” in the administration of justice.

He narrated one of his own encounters in an international arbitration where a respected foreign arbitrator openly questioned the credibility of a well-known Nigerian SAN.

“It is a thing of great shame to claim leadership and a fancy gown, only to drag and debase that gown in the mud of corruption and injustice,” he said.

Candide-Johnson warned that professional discipline has become “a habit of no consequence” when influential lawyers are involved, allowing misconduct to go unpunished.

He cited a 2018 Lagos State backlog elimination project where up to 45 per cent of delays in civil cases were traced to inefficient case management by counsel.

By contrast, court indisposition and interlocutory appeals accounted for only about 20 per cent.

“A matter I handled from the High Court in Kano to the Supreme Court once took less than 18 months.

“Today, the same journey would take up to 12 years,” he said.

According to him, the consequences of continued ethical decline are already visible.

“If senior lawyers are not committed to the efficiency and integrity of the administration of justice, it will collapse.

“Parties will resort to social media trials, unlawful police intervention, and other forms of self-help,” he warned.

Candide-Johnson urged senior lawyers to abandon complacency and embrace the responsibility that comes with influence.

“Wealth and prominence are not a badge of leadership,” he said.

“When success has empowered you to be a model, the time for aloofness and superiority is gone.”

NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), echoed the call for accountability, stressing that the legal profession must demonstrate a willingness to discipline its own.

He noted ongoing reforms to strengthen the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, including proposals for regional sittings to accelerate hearings.

“Nobody will take us seriously if we do not take issues of professional misconduct seriously,” he said.

Osigwe also highlighted the NBA’s broader advocacy, including challenges to unlawful government actions, calls for state police, and reforms to prison administration and judicial appointments.

He emphasised that the Association is committed to promoting the rule of law and ensuring that courts operate free of political interference.

Source; The Nation News