Vice President Yemi Osinbajo advised BOSAN members to always stand up for the voiceless and vulnerable, citing Proverbs 31:8 in the Bible.
He also urged lawyers to name and shame colleagues whose actions make the rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria look like a joke (SAN).
On Saturday, Osinbajo made the announcement at the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) 2021 Annual Dinner and Scholarship Awards in Lagos.
The VP charged BOSAN and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) with ensuring that members-maintained discipline and conducted themselves appropriately.
He slammed the widespread perception that some lawyers have formed unhealthy relationships in order to influence cases.
Osinbajo expressed concern that even younger members of the profession were engaging in similar behavior.
“It is time to commit to calling out those whose actions degrade the ranks of the SAN and bringing them before the appropriate disciplinary body.”
“We must not allow a situation in which the rank is denigrated because the public believes that some of those in our ranks actually corrupt the judicial system.”
According to Osinbajo, the justice system is a public resource that does not belong to the legal profession.
“It is the people’s property. We, lawyers and judges, are paid operators of a service established by our constitution to resolve their disputes and provide justice.”
He stated that if the system is not functioning properly due to delays or discredit caused by corruption, legal practitioners have a moral and civic obligation to fix it.
