You are not competent, magistrate tells lawyer in court

A lawyer, (name withheld) on Wednesday got the shocker of his life when he attempted to move an application before a Yaba Chief Magistrates Court, Lagos, on Monday, and Chief Magistrate Demi Ajayi rebuked him and expressed doubt if he was a lawyer.Did you not learn anything at the law school' Ajayi asked the lawyer.The lawyer was in court to represent an accused person standing trial for obtaining a car loan and allegedly refusing to pay back.He had made several attempts to inform the court that he had a no-case submission pending before the court. But each time the lawyer spoke, he incurred the wrath of Ajayi, for not using the proper words.I have many young lawyers in this court. I dont want you to mislead them to think that they can address the court anyway they want. You should know that there are particular ways you speak in the court. You cannot just speak anyway you like, Ajayi said.The chief magistrate however gave the lawyer more chances to use the proper language, but each time he tried, he got it wrong and the magistrate refused to admit his application.Since you are holding brief for your senior colleague, I suggest you go back to him to teach you the way to speak in court. Ask him to come before the court himself and make his application, Ajayi told the lawyer.As the lawyer fumbled with some details in the case file, the chief magistrate criticised him for not getting it right.Why would you come to court without studying the details in your case file' she queried.The chief magistrate further noted that the lawyers chambers misrepresented her rank by referring to as Chief Magistrate II instead of Chief Magistrate I.When Ajayi told him to make an oral amendment of the error, the lawyer did not seem to understand what amendment he needed to make. This sealed his fate as the magistrate said she would not hear more on the case for the day.As an adjourned date was being proposed for the next hearing of the case, the lawyer attempted to give a date and Ajayi rebuked him.You are not competent enough to speak before this court, so you cannot give a date, Ajayi said.The case was later adjourned to November 18, when the lawyers senior colleague would be in court to speak in his place.
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