Stuffy courtroom forces adjournment of suit against SANs' award

THE poor conditions of most Nigerian courtrooms yesterday took its toll on the suit filed by some senior lawyers at the Federal High Court, Lagos against the award of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and the constitutionality of the Legal Practitioners Act (LPA).With a large number of layers and other litigants storming the courtroom to participate or watch the proceedings, the area became overcrowded and stuffy.Eminent lawyer and elder statesman, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, who is also the counsel to the plaintiffs,protested the poor state of the courtroom. He described it as unsuitable for proper proceedings.The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, who agreed with Braithwaite, accepted his application and adjourned hearing in the suit till October21, 2011Braithwaite said the adjournment would help decongest the small courtroom, as lawyers and litigants stood outside for the period the hearing lasted yesterday.Before the application, Braithwaite, who led a team of lawyers to the court at 9 a.m. had waited patiently in the poorly ventilated courtroom for the session to start. The hearing was delayed by the high number of cases and rulings the court had to deliver.It is the practice of the court, that judgments and rulings take precedent over other matters, followed by cases being handledby the senior advocates before any other matter comes up.Unlike the last adjourned date, the defendants were all represented in court during yesterday's proceedings.The senior lawyers led by octogenarian, Tunde Gomez, had at the last proceedings, urgedthe court to reverse the recent award of SANs to some legal practitioners.The plea for reversal of the awards, the plaintiffs had argued, became imperative in order to protect the sanctity of the court before which the case is pending.
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