Ogun CJ urges lawyers, judges to uphold integrity, ethical standards
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- Ogun State Chief Judge Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu urged lawyers and judges to uphold integrity and ethical standards.
- She warned that compromising ethical values would further erode public confidence in the legal profession.
- Dipeolu identified financial pressures and competition as key ethical challenges, advising young lawyers to prioritize reputation over wealth.
Ogun State Chief Judge Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu has called on legal practitioners and judicial officers to maintain integrity and adhere to ethical standards in the administration of justice. She cautioned that a continued compromise of these values would lead to a further decline in public confidence in the legal profession.
When citizens speak about the legal profession today, they rarely complain about a lack of laws. Nigeria has no shortage of laws. What concerns many citizens is whether the institutions entrusted with administering those laws remain faithful to the values that give the law legitimacy.
Dipeolu emphasized that integrity is the most valuable asset within the justice system, stating that no amount of legislation can restore public trust once it is lost. Speaking at the Annual Bar Lecture of the Nigerian Bar Association, Sagamu Branch, she noted that citizens are more concerned about the faithfulness of legal institutions to their values than the sheer number of laws.
Justice without integrity becomes power. Law without integrity becomes manipulation. Procedure without integrity becomes oppression.
"Justice without integrity becomes power. Law without integrity becomes manipulation. Procedure without integrity becomes oppression," Dipeolu stated. She highlighted that lawyers hold a unique societal position due to their direct involvement with justice, and society relies on the legal system for fair dispute resolution. Losing confidence in this system, she warned, could lead citizens to seek justice through dangerous alternative means.
A lawyer may be brilliant. A lawyer may be eloquent. A lawyer may know every reported authority from 1960 till date. Yet, without integrity, such brilliance becomes dangerous.
The Chief Judge identified several challenges confronting legal practitioners, including financial pressures, intense competition for clients, social media influence, and the erosion of traditional mentoring structures. She specifically advised young lawyers against equating success with wealth or popularity, stressing that a lawyer's greatest asset is their reputation, which is built slowly but can be destroyed rapidly.
A lawyer’s greatest asset is not a luxurious office. It is not a fleet of vehicles. It is not even professional brilliance. A lawyer’s greatest asset is reputation. And reputation is built slowly but can be destroyed suddenly.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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