Kehinde Fajobi
A retired judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, has criticised the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for failing to address petitions against influential lawyers.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Law Weekly programme on Saturday, 11 January 2025, Justice Taiwo accused the NBA of turning a blind eye to allegations involving senior lawyers.
He stated that no harm would come if the association began treating such cases with seriousness.
“We have seen cases involving very senior lawyers and petitions are written, the thing will not see the light of the day. The NBA must rise up to this occasion to make sure that lawyers, no matter who, the heavens will not fall.
“Let us open the backside of the ostrich or the turkey and let people see what A or B are doing. If it’s a disservice to the legal profession, the NBA must say something about it,” Taiwo said.
He further criticised the NBA for what he described as a culture of leniency among its members.
“Don’t let’s deceive ourselves, the NBA is not doing enough, especially when it comes to very senior lawyers, they won’t do anything. It’s a matter of rub my back, I rub your back.
“It’s a matter of ‘you cannot offend so and so.’ Why can’t you offend so and so? If the person is going to rubbish your profession, you must be able to tell the person what you are doing is wrong,” he added.
Justice Taiwo also linked the issue of conflicting judgements in Nigeria’s judicial system to poor communication and coordination among judges.
He called for better dissemination of court rulings across the judiciary.
“I believe that there should be a situation where judgements are circulated all over,” he said, adding that the LPDC is not functioning as effectively as it should.
His comments have sparked renewed calls for reform within the legal profession to address misconduct and inconsistencies in the judicial process.