Ankara Was A popular slang among lawyers those days when legal practice was at its best. Those were the days when lawyers stuck to the rules of their trade. They only argued their cases in court and not on television, radio and in newspapers.
Unfortunately, the reverse is the case today. What is troubling is that lawyers who should know and set examples for young wigs as their own seniors did for them when they started out are most guilty of this unprofessional act.
They go on air masquerading as legal pundits when in fact they are discussing matters in which they are lawyers to a party. What they are doing is forbidden in law practice. It is elementary that cases are not discussed outside the hallowed precincts of the courtroom. Even law students and lay men know this. It is called sub judice in latin.
But these days, very senior lawyers have made punditry their hobby. They hop from one television and radio studio to the other, commenting on the very case they are handling in court, in breach of their practice rule. They and their interviewers try to be clever by half – pretending as if the interviewees know nothing about such cases before coming on air.
Whereas the interviewee knows a lot about the case and only came to defend his position. But they mask their intentions by skirting around other issues to deceive the gullible viewer before returning to where they are going which is the lawyer’s case in court. Thinking that he is wise, the interviewer after leading the interviewee on, will say something like this:
“That is not where I am going. I didn’t know that you are seized of this matter. Now, since we have touched on it, let’s take it up from there. What are the issues involved in the case…” Responding in kind, the lawyer will cut in: “I am seized of the case. You see… (calling the interviewer’s name), there are two judgments of the Federal High Court and a judgment of the Court of Appeal on the matter…”
And the lawyer goes on and on, without stating that he is a lawyer in the case. This is the depth to which legal practice has sunk. Regrettably, the undertakers are the many senior lawyers who are expected to shine the light for their juniors to follow, and their professional body, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
This is the kind of Jankara practice that eminent lawyers deplored in the olden days, even though some of then engaged in it too when it suited them. Jankara is the use of stealth to win a case by all means. It is a deplorable act which decent lawyers condemned then and still condemn now, but it has remained an untamed monster in legal practice because of the incorrigibility of many lawyers.
Jankara is a strong phrase which no lawyer wants his colleague to use for him inside or outside the court. It was fun those days watching eminent lawyers in court, doing battle over the slang. They threatened fire and brimstone, even going to the extent of saying they would withdraw their appearance, if the Judge did not ask the user of the phrase to withdraw it.
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Going the Jankara way as witnessed in the Osun local government debacle and in other cases, particularly during the last presidential election petition matters, did not start today. The only difference is that it was limited to the courtroom then. Now, it has been brought to the marketplace. Incidentally, Jankara is the name of a popular market in Lagos, where buyers and sellers, must be at alert in order not to be duped. Otherwise, either party may end up being shortchanged.
In other words, some lawyers through their Jankara way attempt to con their colleagues and the Judge, as well, so as to obtain justice at all costs. Those who call lawyers liars may be right after all. What is happening in the Osun case has shown some lawyers for who and what they are. And these are the same lawyers who go all over the place, preaching on how to make society better.
How can a lawyer or his association that is not true to himself or itself be true to the society? Honesty is an innate quality. It is either you have it or you do not have it. What do you say of a lawyer who cannot disclose that he is involved in a case, but goes on air to analyse the same case for the viewing audience? What do you say of the NBA that comments on a case that is in court and takes sides with one of the parties? Is that a bar association? A union of motor drivers will do better than that!
NBA has since turned itself into a “busybody” in many matters. It has become a tool for blackmail and it is manipulated by many lawyers and politicians to fight their battles. At the bottom of it all is filthy lucre. There is nothing some lawyers and NBA cannot do for money.
Their deployment of Jankaraism in the Osun council case is a big shame. Yet, they call themselves ministers in the temple of justice! Ministers? Do they truly understand the halo around the name that they cherish but desecrate with so much impunity? With ministers like these, can a nation ever be saved?
These lawyers and NBA should allow the court to do its work without let or hindrance.
