The Nation Newspaper

Tag: LAW

  • Operate within the law, Acting CJN admonishes military

    The Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed yesterday said the military remains a critical institution for the success of any democratic government, asserting that Nigeria would continue to appreciate its military for the sacrifices it made to keep the country united.

    Delivering a keynote address at the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, Abuja, during the opening of the 2019 Edition of the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) Retreat for NAF Officers, Justice Mohammed said the military deserves public support for its efforts in supporting democratic institutions during elections and for maintaining peace and order during internal operations.

    He, however, cautioned that it was imperative for the military to operate within the ambit of the law while going about its kinetic and non-kinetic operations to avoid criticisms within and outside the country.

    Justice Mohammed, who lauded the NAF for supporting INEC to airlift its personnel and electoral materials across the country during the  general elections, noted that such efforts as well as NAF medical outreaches and provision of succour to flood victims cannot go unappreciated.

    Justice Mohammed said: “More recently your role in moving logistics and electoral personnel did not also go unnoticed. Such Support no doubt increases public support which is key to the success of ongoing counter insurgency operations all over the country.

    “I want to reiterate that considering the asymmetric nature of the type of war we now engage in, the military cannot function without public support. If we juxtapose this with the increasing focus and criticism of military operations at both local and international levels, the need to act within the laws during military operations therefore become undeniably imperative”.

    The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar dismissed as untrue insinuations that NAF fighter Pilots dropped bombs selectively during its air operations thereby commiting infractions against citizens and violating their rights.

    REad also: CAN condemns reverend father’s kidnapping in Kaduna

    Air Marshal Abubakar said the retreat was organised to bring stakeholders together in a way that they would interact with NAF Legal Officers, and fighter pilots to enhance their operations for better delivery of service.

    The CAS said: “The NAF relies on our Legal Services Directorate in navigating the legal waters which sometimes become turbulent as a consequence of the strict requirements for the military to adhere to LOAC’’.

    between Nigeria and some of its allies. It is for this reason that we continue to reiterate the importance of adhering to LOAC during military operations.

    “ The aim of this retreat therefore is to provide the platform for interaction between participants and expert in the legal field with a view to equipping our legal officers and field commanders with a better understanding of LOAC”.

     

  • Ogun professionals decry political violence in state

    The League of Ogun State Professionals (LOOP), an organisation comprising indigenes of Ogun State in Sciences, Arts, Law, Media and Business, has expressed worry about the spate of violence across the state, especially in the run-up to the forthcoming general elections.

    In a statement by its President and the General Secretary, Wale Sanyaolu and Dr. Bayo Ogunade, LOOP said: “We are particularly worried by this spate of politically-induced violence with their audacious nature and the renewed vigour that they are being unleashed on innocent residents of the state.

    “We recall with sadness that this violence started in November 2018 with what we had initially thought would be just limited to the party, whose primaries turned bloody at that period. But our wish has been dashed with the commencement of the general campaigns by all parties.

    “Even though it seems all the major four political parties in the state are involved in this politically-induced violence, LOOP is saddened that the political thugs, allegedly sponsored by our governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, are becoming vicious and daring as the elections draw nearer.

    “We were all shocked by the hooliganism displayed by this set of thugs during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential rally in the state. Out of the states visited by President Muhammadu Buhari and our own Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, we were disappointed that it was in our own state, the land of dignified people, that missiles were thrown into the Presidential box, which had the President seated.

    “Though many people had condemned this act, we felt then that the ‘senseless’ nature of that act and the wide condemnation would make Governor Amosun see reason and reign in these political thugs. But alas, this was not the case…”

     

     

  • Law and Social Order

    AS the entire Nigerian legal profession roils in what is unarguably its greatest ethical crisis, it is important to bear in the mind that this is not just a crisis of the bench and the bar, it is first and foremost a crisis of the post-colonial social order. The law is the fulcrum on which the entire political system revolves. When the fulcrum malfunctions, the entire system spins out of control in a situation of dire anarchy and chaos.

    Motives are not important to the resolution of social crises. What is important is how they shape up the forces in conflict and contention even as they whip up new contradictions. In human history, the best possible outcome of a crisis often comes from the worst human motives, whereas the best motives sometimes muddle up the outcome.

    Whatever General Mohammadu Buhari’s private and personal motives in stirring up this epochal crisis of the judiciary particularly when a make or mar election is looming, the objective reality is that it has served to accelerate the contradictions and to problematize the conflict.

    To problematize a conflict is to deepen and expand its arena of hostilities in a way and manner that opens up new perspectives, new problems and new possibilities all tending towards an eventual resolution of the contradictions. You cannot serve omelette without breaking and knocking together a few eggs.

    This was precisely what happened during the retired general’s first coming. General Buhari’s more politically savvy military colleagues, reading the situation on ground, swiftly evicted him and quickly resolved the contradiction in favour of the old political class. The military was not ready for a social revolution and its unintended consequences.

    Buhari’s conservative radical populism was too disruptive and destructive of the social order on which military hegemony and political oligarchy was predicated. It may also be that it could lead to something far more radically threatening from the reactionary right wing.

    Almost thirty five years after, the battle line is drawn around the ancient formation with the same old generals taking up opposing positions. But this time around, away from the old military gaming, Buhari is proving to be an expert and master of a brand of authoritarian populism with the masses lining up behind him against those they consider to be judicial and legal scoundrels while the upper echelons of the bar and bench are stuck arguing about procedural finesse draped in empty legal fineries.

    The Nigerian bar and bench have had it coming for a long time. When a child stumbles, it looks forward embracing the unknown. But when elders falter, they look behind themselves, hugging the known. We have decided to take a retrospective look at the tragedy of the Nigerian judiciary as encapsulated in the life and times of a man whose illustrious career incarnated the Nigerian legal profession in its purest and incorruptible essence.

    The article you are about to read was first written exactly thirty years ago. It is left to the readers to determine whether it is the law books that are burning or the law itself. Once again, please stand up for honourable mention, the immortal and illustrious Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi, Nigeria’s legal Spartacus and great advocate of the masses.

     

  • Search for paradigm shift in law, society

    How should the legal profession respond to the age-long challenges of the rule of law, professionalism and justice delivery in a rapidly evolving digital age? A paradigm shift is needed, said members of the Bar and Bench as multi-service law firm Kenna Partners marked its silver jubilee. ROBERT EGBE writes.

    If you were not in the know, you could not have guessed who the elegant elderly lady in black dress and hat was. She walked quietly through the aisle, alongside a younger woman, who ushered her to a front table in the packed Skyline Terrace Hall of the Oriental Hotel in Lekki, Lagos.

    Soon afterwards, the Master of Ceremonies, a trim, suave fellow in a dark, fitting suit, yielded the microphone to the 86-year-old lady, who, to warm applause, walked to the lectern.

    Chief ‘Folake Solanke, the first woman Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Mrs Solanke, who was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1964, was the chairperson, or “chairman” as she cheerfully insisted, at a colloquium to mark the 25th anniversary of a multi-service law firm, Kenna Partners.

    The event also featured other members of the Bar and Bench, including a Justice of the Supreme Court (JSC), Justice Amina Adamu Augie; Justices of the Court of Appeal (JCA), Justice Gabriel Kolawole; Justice Yargata Nimpar; a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia (SAN); Chairman, National Lottery Regulation Commission, Damian Dodo SAN; and Chukwuka Chukwuma, Partner and co-founder of Racecourse Capital Limited.

    Guest speaker Justice Augie, Ajumogobia, Dodo and Chukwuma interrogated the theme: “Footprints in law and society – towards a paradigm shift”.

    Other dignitaries included top business leaders such  as the chairman of MTN Nigeria and pro-chancellor of the Pan-Atlantic University, Mr. Pascal Dozie, CON, and the founding chairman of Zenith Bank. Mr. Jim Ovia.

     

    ‘Footprints in law, society ’

     

    Solanke said the theme challenged the Bar and Bench “…to consider our present footprints in law and society, and contemplate where the legal profession is going to in order to have a paradigm shift to ensure the efficacy of the law and society”. “Judges and lawyers should relate to that shift,”she said.

    Her advice: A comprehensive review of the Rules of Professional conduct in order to reduce or check “embarrassing” incidents of corruption in the profession.

    She said: “In that context, we urgently need a paradigm shift. Words are now insufficient.

    “The new national leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) under the presidency of our learned friend of the Silk, Paul Usoro SAN, should establish a ”Focus Group”,  call it what you will, to interrogate this national scandal. Lawyers must engage in a conversation to help the nation tackle this hydra- headed monster.

    “The Focus Group should invite as Guest Speaker, our learned friend of the Silk and Vice – President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN, who recently expressed his dilemma about the “grand corruption“, to address the Focus Group’s inaugural event.

    “I make bold to say that offenders are impostors, not lawyers. I can declare whether or not on oath, that I am not corrupt. The country needs an instantaneous paradigm swift shift from gross iniquity with impunity being perpetrated on the nation by fraudsters.”

    She noted other areas in which a paradigm shift is needed to include rescuing the falling standard of professional practice.

    Solanke said: “Currently, there is unanimity on the poor standard of professional practice, particularly of some new wigs. Recently, I discovered one of the reasons for the poor quality of some graduates in our beloved country. This is it- educational authorities now descend to the low, sub- standard of the indolent students in the universities and the Law School, by fixing the pass marks in examination below 50 per cent.”

    According to her, there must be a paradigm swift shift to the digital age. “Lawyers and Judges must be trained to use electronic tools such as e-mails, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Skype, WhatsApp.

    “Familiarity with the digital platforms is a must for legal practice. Indeed, candidates for judicial and SAN positions may soon be tested on answers to question on e-line before appointments! I believe that the Supreme Court is already leading in the IT system of e-filing processes. We must not be frozen in time so that we can have global relevance.”

     

    ‘Adapt or be left behind’

     

    Justice Augie encouraged members of the Bar and Bench to adapt to modern trends or risk falling behind in the profession.

    She noted that every generation of legal practitioners must leave distinctive footprints behind as the society evolves and adapts to modern trends, particularly in the field of law in relation to the society.

    According to her, the traditional ways of practicing law are bound to evolve with time. She added that Attorney-Client communication, client acquisition, analysis of legal documents and most importantly, conduct of proceedings in court, are various aspects where law practice  is bound to take a totally different shape in the future, and technology is the driving force behind this evolution.

    Justice Augie noted that lawyers now have to  contend with technological advancements that threaten to render obsolete the ways that previously characterised law practice.

    She added: “There has been an apparent shift, change and increase in the pace of legal practice and client expectations, which has compelled lawyers in every clime to shape up or shape out.”

     

    ‘Lawyers must reassess their role’

     

    Ajumogobia observed that there seems to be far too much abuse of process in Nigeria’s courts and as long as costs are not cost reflective such abuse in the form of frivolous objections and interlocutory appeals, especially on jurisdiction for purposes of delay, will persist.

    He noted that the rule of law is fundamental to the development of a transparent, accountable and effective society/legal system, adding that without it, real inclusive development and growth will continue to elude the country.

    According to him, unless there is a paradigm shift in the way lawyers perceive their role in the legal profession, Nigeria will inevitably fail, and is failing.

    He added: “The fundamental question that we must ask ourselves is this: Given what I have posited, is it enough for us as lawyers to accept the status quo, and simply seek to act properly and in accordance with our stipulated ethical standards (which sadly are also in free fall), or is more required of the current generation of our profession – i.e. a collective and concerted properly harnessed effort to serve a greater and higher national purpose?”

     

    Areas of reform

     

    On his part, Dodo urged the Bar and Bench to shed certain attitudes which hinder justice delivery.

    Such attitudes on lawyers’ part, according to him, include “all sorts of delay tactics, preliminary objections as standard operating procedure (SOP), appeal on every point/or ruling, stay proceedings for as long as possible, petition the trial judge or the panel, etc”

    For the Bench, Dodo harped on the need for punctuality of the courts, noting in particular, “the commendable example of the Supreme Court”. He emphasised the need for simple courtesies to the Bar, the lack of reciprocal respect by some judges, enormous challenge in arbitration proceedings, frustration of the recognition and enforcement of awards among others.

     

    From the outside looking in

     

    Chukwuma, a United States-trained financial strategist, highlighted instances where a fundamental paradigm shift occurred in the country’s socio-economic profile and fortunes, thanks to the role of law firms such as Kenna Partners.

    Citing the dramatic increase in the number of infrastructural projects, shopping malls and other important landmarks across Lagos and the rest of Nigeria, Chukwuma attributed this growth in the number and scale of big-ticket public projects in recent years to the dexterity with which law firms negotiated the terms under which funding were obtained for them from local and foreign sources. Law firms, he said, have shown greater dexterity in their ability to handle global transactions–not just in real estate, but also in oil and gas, high finance, transportation, etc. It was a trend which, according to him, is expected to continue and expand in scope.

     

    Book presentation

     

    The climax of the silver jubilee celebration was the public presentation of a book titled: “Brief Insights: a selection of Milestone Cases”, which chronicles some notable decisions of Nigerian Courts.

    According to Kenna’s Principal Partner, Prof. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, the book is a careful selection of cases, which celebrate matters brought by litigants before the courts, the persuasive arguments of lawyers and the decisions, which have enriched legal practice and modern legal history in recent times.

    Earlier, Ajogwu recounted the firm’s humble beginnings in May 1993, after which the audience was shown a short documentary on the firm’s evolution in the quarter-century of its operations, and its engagement with the people, communities and interests it has served in that time.

  • Don’t study Medicine, Law, without self-assessment, don tells students

    A counselling expert, Prof Rasaq Adenuga, has advised students against forcing themselves to study courses, such as Medicine, Law, Pharmacy or Engineering in the university, because of the seeming glamour associated with them without adequate self-appraisal.

    Adenuga also advised parents to guide their children appropriately and not compel them to study Medicine or Law without giving a thought to the wards’ strength or weakness.

    The professor of Counselling and Personnel Psychology, who gave the advice while delivering the 84th inaugural lecture of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, said studying a course outside one’s interest and ability could lead to poor academic performance and failure to develop one’s potentials.

    Delivering the inaugural lecture titled: Managing the managers: The counsellors’ mission, Adenuga admonished counsellors to be engaged in all strata of the  school system – from primary to tertiary levels.

    He said counsellors were needed to provide services, properly guide pupils and students on career paths, as well as help them manage their difficulties that give rise to poor performance in school.

    Citing a study he conducted in 2003 on self-reported reasons for poor academic performance using 200 pre-degree students of a given university, he discovered that parents imposition of courses on the children was the major cause of poor academic performance.

    According to him, children should be allowed to choose occupation or course of study that will assist them to develop their potential rather than compel them to study courses where they lack interest or competence.

    Adenuga also recommended making religious education as compulsory subjects in primary and secondary schools to enable pupils and students imbibe the fear of God while attention should be given to mother tongue in curriculum of primary education as vehicle to inculcate the norms, customs and tradition of various communities of the pupils.

    He added that sounsellor services go beyond school system and recommended they should be engaged in hospitals to help patients cope with their condition and in work settings as human resources managers.

  • Nasarawa approves five-year single tenure for varsity VC

    Nasarawa House of Assembly on Tuesday approved a five-year single tenure for Vice-Chancellor for the state-owned University, Keffi and other principal officers of the institution.

    The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Balarabe Abdullahi, announced this in Lafia while announcing the passage of  a Bill for a Law to Amend the Nasarawa State University Law 2001,” during the House proceeding.

    He commended the sponsor of the bill, Mr Daniel Ogah Ogazi, (APC-Kokona East) and his colleagues for ensuring that the bill saw the light of the day.

    The sponsor, who is also the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, had moved a motion for the passage of the bill and seconded by Alhaji Mohammed Okpoku (APC-Udege/Loko).

    Ogazi commended the speaker and his colleagues for giving adequate attention to the passage of the bill.

    According to the speaker, said that when the bill is passed into law by the governor, the Vice-Chancellor of the university shall hold office for a single term of five years.

    He added that the vice-chancellor shall no longer be eligible for appointment until 10 years, after leaving office.

    “Within a period of 90 days and not later than 60 days to the expiration of the tenure of the existing Vice-Chancellor, the successor to the Vice-Chancellor shall be appointed.

    “The Registrar shall hold office for a single term of five years except when his tenure is expiring the same time with the Vice-Chancellor, that his tenure shall be extended for one year only and no more, “the bill stated.

    The bill further stipulated that the directorates in the university were to be headed by Directors and shall hold office for a single term of five years only.

    “Directors of Works and Maintenance, Physical Planning, Health Services and Information, Communication and Technology shall hold office for a single term of five years only, the bill also stipulated.

    “Also, there shall be Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) and DeputyVice-Chancellor (Administration) in the office of the Vice-Chancellor whose tenure shall be two years, subject to renewal for another two years, “it stated.

    The speaker, therefore, directed the Clerk of the House to produce a clean copy of the bill for governor‘s assent.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bill will be called “Nasarawa State University, Keffi Amendment Law 2018, when signed into law by the governor.

     

  • Law to combat maritime crime necessary, say stakeholders

    MARITIME Law Enforcement Agencies (MLEA) have unanimously urged the Federal Government to provide for a law to back Harmonised Standard Operating Procedure (HSOP) for combatting maritime crimes and attendant environmental degradation.

    This was contained in a communique after a seminar on ‘Inter-Agency Cooperation, Panacea for Degradation of the Maritime Environment’ held as part of Module for Naval Warfare Course 2 of the Naval War College, Nigeria, in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers State.

    The communique was a product of syndicated deliberations on the seminar lecture, ‘Implementation of the HSOP on Arrest, Detention and Prosecution’ delivered by Deputy Director, Data, Naval Headquarters Commodore Matthew Onwuegbu,.

    The guest lecturer explained that HSOP, produced by a Presidential Committee of MLEAs set up in 2016, bears measurable potentials at improving maritime safety in the Nigerian space.

    He stressed that its implementation without statutory force has undermined its value to offer appropriate procedure for arrest of ships or persons involved in maritime illegalities and in handling of seized products.

    Aside calling for an executive bill to the National Assembly towards an enabling HSOP law, the communique read by Commander Aiwuyor Adams Aliu, seminar rapporteur secretary, also advocated “establishment of Maritime Security Trust Fund, designations of Nigerian Navy as coordinating agency. sensitisation of stakeholders, establishment of special maritime courts to expedite trial of maritime cases”.

    Commandant of the Naval War College Rear Admiral Thaddeus Udofia and Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command Rear Admiral Salih Usman, represented by Rear Admiral Frederick Ogu, as special guest of honour, both scored the seminar as timely and beneficial to the warfare course participants and to the nation’s economy.

    Other stakeholders present at the event include sister security agencies, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.

     

  • Law, justice and the June 12 question

    Nigerians wouldn’t have been the most excitable people they are globally acclaimed to be had the familiar legal hair-splitting not attended the national awards conferred on Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 elections and the foremost human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi by President Muhammadu Buhari penultimate week. Clearly, Nigeria may have been described as a country never in short supply of excitable moments, some of the reactions that have trailed it has merely reinforced this national character.

    In an environment permanently locked in the partisan mode, dissensions would not only seem the natural order but something to be expected. Dissension, by the way – if I may borrow the Biblical cliché –is the way we live and have our being. For daring to reach out for the trophy of righting the historic wrong, the administration has been variously accused of cynically manipulating the historic event for political advantage. Others, perhaps more charitable, have insisted that what the president did was doing the right act done in a wrong way. Considering – some say – the mass alienation of the southwest in particular –the motive(s), they charged could not be altruistic!

    And now – the ruse – as against the ballyhooed – rule of law has since come handy for those interested in obfuscating issues than see justice done. For something that every fair-minded citizens has long deemed cut and dried, the revelation of how deep the resentment still runs in some people’s veins –the usual familiar quarters –which sees any attempt – even merely symbolic – to revisit the historic wrong as something of an equivalent of their own Golgotha moment – must be something to chew upon.

    Pity that a quarter of a century gone by has quite clearly failed to wash off those terrible blinkers hence the specious patriotism couched in legalism.

    Thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari, the nation would appear to have turned a new chapter – even as it turned that not a few remain unimpressed – and that is to put things mildly. On Tuesday, June 12, he dared to do what others before him couldn’t find the courage to do, or as in an earlier attempt made, half-heartedly.

    As they say in these parts – the president literally killed two birds with one stone. In what appears a move designed to stoke a fierce fire of legalism, the president did not stop at announcing a posthumous honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic on Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, and Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger on the irrepressible lawyer – Gani Fawehinmi, he went as far as putting June 12 on the nation’s foremost calendar as Democracy Day.

    Not so fast – said former Chief Justice of the Federation, Alfa Belgore – and with it an instinctive disclaimer:  “It is not done…”

    The national honours committee – which he chaired in 2016(?) – he said, was not consulted prior to the decision. He claimed, citing Section 3 (1) and (2) of the National Honours Act,  that the particular awards could not be done posthumously: “Subject to the next following paragraph of this article, a person shall be appointed to a particular rank of an Order when he receives from the President in person, at an investiture held for the purpose”.

    Did the revered jurist bother read the next subsection? That seems doubtful. That subsection, clearly unambiguous, gave the president the latitude to do what he did. It reads: – If in the case of any person it appears to the President expedient to dispense with the requirements of paragraph (2) of this article, he may direct that that person shall be appointed to the rank in question in such a manner as may be specified in the direction!

    Case closed? You bet not. Foremost constitution lawyer, Prof Ben Nwabueze (SAN) has  since opened another flank – at best a variant of the same specious legalism. Last week, he fired a statement to The Guardian titled “President Buhari’s 6th June, 2018 Declaration of a New Democracy Day and the Rule of Law”.

    And what did legal luminary say?

    First, he questioned the motive behind the declaration – “whether it is motivated by the public interest or by a political desire to secure the votes of Nigerians in the 2019 election, especially the votes of people of the South-West or to sow the seed of division among the members of the National Assembly in order to scuttle the threat to impeach him or to throw the country into turmoil or to smear the polity with the taint of illegality”.

    He then concluded: “A motive of mischief seems evident on the face of the declaration. It is indeed a masterstroke of mischief and insincerity, a deceitful contrivance, suddenly and mischievously trumped up to rescue his dying image three years after his installation as president”.

    I will concede that the eminent lawyer is entitled to his opinion. In fact, he is entitled to conjure as many doomsday scenarios that suit his moods or fancies even when these fly in the face of reality. My question: if the specific acts resultant from the declaration is deemed as positive and desirable as it appears that our legal luminary somehow believe they do, do we then treat them as wrong only because of some perceived benefits accruable to the initiator?

    Second, he delved into what he called the legal aspects of the President’s Declaration, and pronounced, rather gracelessly, that the president misfired! Let’s look closely at his grouses? To him, the Federal Military Government (FMG) Decree No. 61 of 1993, which annulled the June 12, 1993 election, would seem cast in steel and so would remain inviolable perhaps for all ages!

    In the opinion of the learned Silk, President Buhari had no right to treat the decree, which he calls “as a matter both of fact and law” as if it does not exist! Here at once is the supreme irony of it all: a foremost constitutional scholar treating the corrective, albeit largely inchoate acts of an elected sovereign as inferior if not subordinate to a military decree procured under the cover of darkness to subvert the will of the Nigerian people!

    I need not to into the other leg of his argument about the Rule of Law being more fundamental and overriding than any consideration of justice! His exact words: Respect for the rule of law must not therefore be sacrificed to the need for justice.

    Thankfully, not everyone subscribes to this specious but tragically mechanistic view of the relationship between law in process and justice as an end. Not least is the revered Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka whose famous dictum –Justice is the first condition of humanity – has long provided humanity a worthy template for resolving the thorny question in the face of the endless clashes between the forces of regression known to trade the ruse for the rule.

    By the way – I almost forgot to add that Nwabueze not only served in that infamous contraption called the Interim National Government – put in place to bury the June 12 struggle, he was the drum major in the orchestra to confer legitimacy to that interim nonsense.

    Glad to be back!

  • Acting is as lucrative as Medicine, Law – Fred Amata

    Fred Amata, the president of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), on Monday says acting is a profession that is as productive as Medicine or Law.

    Amata told our reporter in Lagos that the stakeholders in the acting profession should be accorded same respect accorded to lawyers, engineers, medical doctors and other noble professions.

    Reports have it that DGN are those who direct stage plays and home videos on locations.

    He said that acting had advanced in scope and international acceptability as well as become more lucrative than ever before.

    “With the growth of the industry today, and one film being able to rake in over half a billion naira a year, I believe the sky is a starting point.

    “I know that this massive change will definitely make acting the next best thing,” he said.

    The former actor said that theatricals or stagecraft was a job that a person could do from ones cradle till death.

    “For instance, I can never play the role of a new born or play that of a teenage boy. At every single phase of life, you have a place and an opportunity to venture into the world of art.

    “Once a person becomes an actor, he or she will always remain an actor, regardless of being in or out of the industry.

    “However, it is not easy to reach stardom or remain in limelight, but it is also not impossible, as there are three things that make a person a star.

    “These are how talented an individual is, the person’s structure, his or her readiness to learn the craft and getting as much education as possible as well as the grace of God,” he said.

    The president explained that acting was not only about the looks, but intelligence and ability to grasp whatever script one was given.

    “The X-factor here is God’s grace, opportunity and luck that keep one going in the game.

    “Most times, it is the grace of God that one needs to take one to places beyond ones expectation.

    “Learning is a continuous process; so striving to better ones’ self is very important in this profession.

    “Most of the vocations we hear about today are man-made; and it is the value the society places on it that it gives back,” Amata said.

    NAN

  • Disrupting the law

    Candice Pillay is a Partner at Hogan Lovells, a Johannesburg law firm. She coordinates the firm’s citizenship and pro bono activities and heads its enterprise development and social entrepreneurship practice. The firm’s lawyers provide pro bono legal assistance and access to justice. In this article, Pillay writes on how to bring innovations to law.

    As developing countries continue to gain access to technology and begin to innovate existing systems, it has become clear that technology has stopped being an end in itself but an instrumental tool and means to accelerate growth and development.

    For more than a decade, African economies have exceeded the global average for growth and this acceleration has been mirrored by the advancement of innovation on the continent. But what has been particularly interesting about these technological advancements is that they exemplify a rejection of “growth for growth’s sake” – innovators in Africa have been developing systems that talk specifically to African particularities and key challenges.

    The internet has played a major role in the democratisation of technology and knowledge. If the cultural impact of this has been the challenging of conceptions of expertise, what implications does this have for the legal industry? At Hogan Lovells, a firm that prides itself in its dedication to promoting access to legal services for all, we believe that technology can be instrumental in improving systems to ensure that justice is accessible to everyone.

     The Hackathon

    This is why we partnered with The Hague Institute for the Internationalisation of Law (HiiL) that brought its prestigious event for legal and justice innovators, Global Legal Hackathon (globallegalhackathon.com), to South Africa for the first time this February. The event will see local innovators compete for a place at a New York showcase of the best law-tech innovations in the world. Global Legal Hackathon took place over three days, from 23-25 February at the Tshimologong Precinct in Johannesburg, South Africa, and teams developed technology-led solutions to pressing justice problems. Whether it’s improving the business and practice of law with blockchain and AI, or helping with good government, legal systems and access to justice, this is an opportunity for justice entrepreneurs to build on existing ideas, or to create a team around an entirely new concept for justice innovation.

     Innovating the law

    Innovations can range from improvements to contracting and supply chains, to solutions to social justice issues. Two South African entrepreneurs took top honours in the 2017 Innovating Justice Challenge (IJC), impressing a 300-strong crowd of lawyers, politicians and activists at the Innovating Justice Forum at Peace Palace in The Hague last December. With new initiatives such as Global Legal Hackathon, HiiL Southern Africa, in association with Hogan Lovells, plans to help even more start-ups in the justice sector to achieve success.

    According to Connor Sattely, Business Accelerator Agent at HiiL, “having quantifiable, measurable, and verifiable data about justice needs and the challenges in a justice system is essential for the legal profession to move into the 21st century.

    ”Justice systems and legal services have been accused of being regressive, hierarchical and elitist. Billions of people risk becoming powerless when faced with land disputes, crime, divorce, consumer problems, unfair dismissal, disagreements with a neighbour or landlord, grievance with a public authority, or a business/contractual conflict.” (http://www.hiil.org/about-us).

    Even when people can afford legal services, their issues may be left unresolved for a multitude of reasons including a lack of responsiveness of legal providers to the ever-changing environments in which legal systems exist.

     Access to justice for all

    In South Africa alone, nearly a million people access legal services through legal aid, a number which excludes the pro bono efforts of the countries law firms. “It’s simply not enough to have protective laws, functional institutions or progressive constitutions. Accessing justice is fundamental to enacting the rule of law and legal aid is a precondition for effecting it, by providing assistance to people otherwise unable to afford legal representation,” says Justice Mlambo, Chairperson of Legal Aid South Africa.

    Legal issues are seldom isolated, and are often informed by or resultant of various other factors ranging from socio-economic constraints to mental-health concerns. It is vital that justice systems, the legal industry and its providers be committed to mitigating these challenges through innovative thinking. But limiting this innovation to those already with the industry would be tantamount to the elitism the field has been charged with. That is why initiatives like Global Legal Hackathon are so important. Justice systems are there to serve and protect the citizens of the world – who better to navigate its innovation than the ordinary people that are its main constituents?