In a candid interview on Channels Television’s Law Weekly program, retired Federal High Court Justice Taiwo Taiwo has raised serious concerns about the handling of disciplinary actions against senior and influential lawyers.
Justice Taiwo accused both the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) of turning a blind eye to petitions lodged against prominent figures in the legal profession.
The former judge’s comments, made during his appearance on the show hosted by Shola Soyele, shed light on what he described as a systemic failure within the legal community to hold powerful lawyers accountable.
Justice Taiwo further highlighted a growing issue within Nigeria’s judiciary, blaming the frequent occurrence of conflicting judgments on a lack of proper communication and coordination among judges.
He expressed concern that such discrepancies not only undermine public confidence in the judicial system but also contribute to confusion in legal proceedings across the country.
“I believe that there should be a situation where judgements are circulated all over.
“The LPDC, that committee is not working the way it should work when it comes to things like that.
“We have seen cases involving very senior lawyers and petitions are written, the thing will not see the light of the day. The NBA must rise up to this occasion to make sure that lawyers, no matter who, the heavens will not fall. Let us open the backside of the ostrich or the turkey and let people see what A or B are doing. If it’s a disservice to the legal profession, the NBA must say something about it.
“Don’t let’s deceive ourselves, the NBA is not doing enough, especially when it comes to very senior lawyers, they won’t do anything. It’s a matter of rub my back, I rub your back. It’s a matter of ‘you cannot offend so and so’. Why can’t you offend so and so? If the person is going to rubbish your profession, you must be able to tell the person what you are doing is wrong.”
