By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja
Your Lordship, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and Administrator, National Judicial Institute (NJI),
Permit me to begin by borrowing the wording of a popular nursery rhyme: “LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN”!!!
It appears that ethical standards amongst Nigerian judges and lawyers is falling down at an alarming rate.
This is confirmed by the March 2025 recent public statement of the Chief Justice of Nigeria herself, which is available online at:https://dailypost.ng/2025/03/26/cjn-kekere-ekun-laments-rising-level-of-unethical-conduct-among-nigerian-lawyers/
More recently, last May 2025, the former Vice-President of Nigeria, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), also repeated the same. his statement is available online at: https://www.thisdaylive.com/2025/05/17/osinbajo-corruption-ethics-violations-hurting-nigerias-legal-system/
By way of re-introduction, my name is Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja.
Your Lordship may recall that the Professional Association of Lawyers (ALDRAP), of which I am the Executive Secretary, conducted a training on the use of ICT in legal research and judgment writing for staff of the National Judicial Institute (NJI) between 25th to 28th April 2023.
In addition to training and public interest litigation as methods of advocacy, our Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) also deploys public education through our series of open letters.
This open letter is part of our public interest advocacy to encourage both officials and institutions to adhere to compliance to the legislation of Nigeria.
The purpose of this open letter is twofold, namely:
- To draw your attention to a growing crisis (increasing lack of adherence to professional ethical standards by both Nigerian judges and lawyers); and
- The delivery of regular periodic refresher courses on Career alternatives for Nigerian judges. This is in line with the statutory responsibility of the National Judicial Institute that was established by Decree Number 28 of 1991.
Two days ago, several online newspapers reported that a certain Justice of the Supreme Court (JSC) of Nigeria was sighted in the company of the Attorney-General of Edo State at Benin City.
It triggered a heated debate amongst Nigerian lawyers, some took the view that it was a violation of the judicial code of conduct for this said JSC to be seen in the company of a litigant (the Attorney-General of Edo State) in an electoral petition that is currently before the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Other Nigerian lawyers argued to the contrary.
As the debate heated up, an official letter published on online newspapers was released stating that the said JSC was there in an official capacity having obtained permission to attend the funeral of a relative of a senior lawyer.
This is reminiscent of a previous episode wherein a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was criticised for sending money to a judge as assistance in the burial of the relative of the said judge.
This is reported online at: https://dailytrust.com/tarfa-admits-giving-judge-n225000-for-fathers-burial/
The purpose of this write-up is not to dwell on mistakes.
This article seeks to proffer a solution, namely, regular and periodic training for judges to remind them of the judicial code of conduct that they took an oath to uphold.
The endgame is to improve the public perception of Nigerian judges and lawyers which is taking a nose-dive.
To conclude, the proposed training should encourage those judges who are no longer comfortable with the strict socially reclusive lifestyle expected of judges to consider early retirement or resignation and the taking up of alternative career choices such as jury consultancy or working as legal drafting consultant to international organisations such as the European Union, USAID, UNICEF, etc.
The late Hon. Justice Abdullahi Zuru, formerly a judge of the Sokoto State High Court, resigned to serve as a legislative drafting consultant for the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, who assigned him to serve in different Caribbean countries until his death. His biography can be read online on this link: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2017/10/01/ministry-of-legal-affairs-staffs-pay-tribute-to-late-nigerian-judge/
Please kindly accept assurances of my respectful regards.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja,
15th June 2025.
The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.
The writer’s concern about the declining ethical standards among Nigerian judges and lawyers is thought-provoking. A refresher course could be beneficial in addressing these issues. Alternative career pathways like jury consultancy and legal drafting might also be worth exploring. What are your thoughts on the proposed solutions?