Lawyers urged against redundancy

JUSTICE of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Chima Centus Nweze has charged lawyers to shun redundancy, embrace Information Communication Technology (ICT) and International Law and Jurisprudence as they brace up for the new normal.

  Delivering his keynote address during the Nigerian Bar Association,(NBA), Nnewi Branch’s 2021 Law Week, themed ‘The Legal Profession and the New Normal,’ which held at Convaj Event Center, Nnewi, Justice C.C. Nweze decried the redundancy of many legal practitioners both among the members of the bar and the bench, who had refused to improve themselves amidst global opportunities and global challenges.

“There are international opportunities which Nigerian lawyers had missed because they are not ready to develop themselves in tune with current global realities. Visual displays as against verbal presentations. Some lawyers and judges are not computer literate but the internet is there to explore and  learn. You have opportunities to counsel litigants or international businessmen at foreign countries, at the ECOWAS International Criminal Court or the African Court of Justice and human rights, etc”, said Nweze.

The Chairman, NBA, Nnewi Branch/ Chairman, Committee of Chairmen of Branches of NBA, Anambra State, Kingsley Awuka, flanked by leader of NBA, Nnewi Branch, Chief A. O. Unachukwu  and Godwin Eneghalu,  said that the Law Week’s choice of theme was necessary due to the current realities which is gradually becoming a new normal, adding that law week was a time to unwind, discuss new approach and methods in the legal profession.

 “The impact of COVID-19 pandemic  involves social distancing, therefore, the legal profession has to explore the use of digital technology like virtual hearing, electronic filing of cases. Legal profession also has a role to play in the rising spate of insecurity, growing corruption in our public institutions including the judiciary and the strangulation of the judicial arm of government by the executive arm in refusing to implement financial autonomy for the judiciary which resulted to another 10 weeks strike embarked by Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), rising ethnic clamours for separation, the spate of violence, killer herdsmen, bandits menace and threats, self help, self determination, etc”, said Awuka.

  NBA, Onitsha Branch Chairman, Onyechi Ononye , Godwin Eneghalu, SA to the Governor on Information and Communication Strategy, Akachukwu Mmaduakolam, NBA, Nnewi Branch’s immediate past chairman, Pascal Ugwuanyi advised their colleagues to assimilate the ideas discussed by the erudite jurists, professors and Senior Advocates of Nigeria who were present to share their wealth of experiences in the event, adding that government should do away with obsolete laws, shun corruption by appointing judges and magistrates who know their onions and speed up delivery of justice since the hope of the common man lies in the judiciary.