3,680 lawyers called to the Bar

A total of 3,680 candidates who had passed the August 2011 Nigerian Law School final examinations were, on Tuesday, called to the Bar at the International Conference Centre (ICC), in Abuja.Out of the candidates, 14 made first class; 243 and 1,041 made second class upper and lower divisions respectively, while 2,377 made a pass.Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, called on lawyers to engage more in alternatives to dispute resolution (ADR) rather than litigation, for the sustenance of peace and order in the country.Justice Musdapher said a responsible legal professional must know when to exchange litigation cloak for that of a conciliator, adding that the practice of throwing in the towel when a lawyer realised that pursuing a case was not in the best interest of his client, the court or the society was receding in the country.According to him, 'we must strive to attain justice above all and not derail its course, even if it is not in the favour of our client or participate in sharp practices.'While calling on the judges and lawyers to work in synergy in the interest of justice, the CJN said any act of legal practitioner which ridiculed or sought to diminish the dignity and integrity of the court did not only reduce public confidence in the judicial process, but also called into question the ability to do justice.Musdapher encouraged the new wigs to participate diligently in worthwhile continuing professional education programmes and promised to carry out reforms of the judiciary to enhance public confidence, renew belief in the judicial process and increase the sense of access to justice in the country.In his remark on the occasion, the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr Tahir Mamman, called on the National Assembly to amend the Legal Education Act, to provide for appropriate and specific sanctions on proprietors who were in breach.
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