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General News of Wednesday, 16 September 2020

Source: channelstv.com

Over 1,000 lawyers called to Nigerian bar

Over 1,000 lawyers called to Nigerian bar Over 1,000 lawyers called to Nigerian bar

The call to bar ceremony usually happens after the new wigs have successfully passed the Bar Final Examination and it’s the climax of any individual’s quest to join the legal profession.

In strict observance of Covid-19 protocols, The Body of Benchers on Tuesday held the call to bar ceremony for the new wigs at the Eagle Square, Abuja. Parents, guardians, and well-wishers were barred from entering the venue.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu (SAN) who spoke at the ceremony said 1, 779 candidates passed the January 2020 Bar final examinations, while six candidates were from previous Bar final examinations. He said 736 of the students failed.

According to him: “A total of 2,515 students participated at the examinations and a total of 1, 779 were successful, out of which five candidates were graded in first class, 76 graded in the second class upper, 633 graduated with second class lower while 1, 065 came out with a pass in the Bar final examinations.

“I am happy to affirm that they all exhibited good manners and decorum during their training. They have also been groomed in the best ethics and ethos of our noble profession,”.

The Chairman of the Body of Benchers, OCJ Okocha (SAN), In his remarks said that since the Nigerian Law School came into existence in 1962, the Council has always made sure that all candidates admitted into the School are given the requisite skills and knowledge, in order for them to be sound lawyers.

Okocha, who is also a life bencher warned the new lawyers that any breach of the rules and regulations will be met with severe sanctions.

He said the Body of Benchers has the power to enforce discipline and decorum at the Bar and that the exercise of the power is done through the instrumentality of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), which is a standing committee of the Body of Benchers.

On its part, the Nigerian Bar Association has congratulated the new wigs and expressed the desire and hope that they live up to the ideals expected of legal practitioners.

The President of the Bar, Olumide Akpata also used the opportunity of the call to bar ceremony to pledge his commitment to unify lawyers and restore the association’s glory.

In his tweets after attending the ceremony, Akpata said, “In the next couple of weeks, we shall be unveiling the plans that we have lined up to make their membership of the Association more beneficial to them and everyone.

The ultimate objective is to bequeath to the new wigs and the generality of our members a united and value-adding Association that we all will be proud of.