YES, WE CAN!

If I decide to contest election into the office of President of the Nigerian Bar Association, please find below my plans for the Bar and the Judiciary in Nigeria.

ACCELERATED LEGAL PRACTICE REFORMATION

Guidelines for Pupilage:

NBA will outline minimum guidelines for pupilage, in the areas of salaries and other welfare packages for junior lawyers.

Guidelines for salaried employment outside pupilage, such as in Banks and other non-legal establishments.

Guidelines for Change or Counsel:

Incoming counsel to ensure resolution of all outstanding issues as to legal fee of outgoing counsel.

Conducive atmosphere for legal practice:

Stop arrest of lawyers for rendering legal services.

Any such lawyer arrested shall be defended by the NBA.

The law enforcement agency/officer concerned shall be blacklisted.

Stop molestation of lawyers by the police and other security agencies.

Stop criminalizing professional legal services.

Restoration of NBA Black Book for violators of the rule of law.

For the above, we will up NBA Standing Committee for the Protection of Lawyers, (STACOPOL).

Enforcing The Rule of Law:

Abolition of sharp (jankara) practices.

AGF to be held accountable for all actions of the federal government.

State AGs to be held accountable for all actions of the State government.

To amend the RPC Rules to make it professional misconduct for any AG of any government that violates the rule of law, to be indicted vicariously.

No lawyer shall accept to be AGF or AG unless he has first sworn to an oath of allegiance to uphold and enforce the rule of law with the NBA, which oath shall be actionable upon breach.

NBA shall blacklist the government concerned in violation of the rule of law before the IBA, the International Community, the UN, IMF, World Bank, EU, AU, ECOWAS.

End to sexual harassment of female lawyers.

Increase remittance due to Branches from BPF and pay promptly.

NBA ELECTORAL REFORMS

Ensure peaceful and credible elections.

Tracking of electronic voting to avoid manipulations.

Eradication of money-induced elections.

Abolition of financial inducements by candidates.

Scrapping sponsorships by candidates.

THE JUDICIARY

Better welfare packages for judges, improved salary, regular training and investment of funds.

Financial autonomy for and independent of the judiciary.

Reform NJC to be free from dominance of judges.

Improved infrastructure for the courts.

All NBA Branches to set up court visitation committees to audit the state of infrastructure in the courts and report to NEC for follow up action with AG and Governor of any State.

Campaign for reform of BOSAN for decentralization.

Slash fees for AGC and decentralize Conference according to Zones.

Partnership with government and relevant law enforcement agencies for transparent anti-corruption campaign in line with the rule of law.

NBA Legal fees recovery mechanisms:

To have defined fees for services rendered.

To set up the Legal Practitioners Fee Recovery Committee (LPFRC).

No lawyer should ever work without payment.

Permanent Stamp and Seal, just top up or reproduce once enlisted.

Law Reforms:

Uniform Criminal Procedure Laws

Make ACJA applicable in all States through domestication.

Uniform Civil Procedure Rules for the States with minor modifications.

Law Reform Commission to ensure yearly publications of all laws enacted.

We are at the threshold of history. Welcome to a new dawn.

•Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, SAN, writes from Lekki, Lagos.

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