LEGAL ADMINISTRATION & PRACTICE IN A SECURED ENVIRONMENT: WHEN? HOW?
Delivered at the Nigerian Bar Association, Oron Branch, Law Week Dinner
Protocols.
The Chairman and distinguished members of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oron Branch; learned silk and senior members of our noble profession; distinguished guests; members of the Bench; colleagues at the Bar; ladies and gentlemen.
Good evening!
What a beautiful privilege it is to be here tonight, among men and women who have chosen a profession that demands courage when silence is convenient, integrity when compromise is tempting, and patience when justice appears to be taking the longest route possible.
Tonight, we have gathered to celebrate our profession, our friendships, our achievements, and perhaps, for a few hours, to enjoy ourselves without having to ask, “My Lord, may I respectfully make one final submission?”
Although, knowing lawyers, I suspect that even at dinner, somebody will eventually raise a preliminary objection to the quality of the food!
But beyond the laughter, tonight presents us with an important question. A question that speaks to the very heart of our calling, the safety of our communities, the credibility of our institutions, and the future of justice in Nigeria.
Our theme is: “Legal Administration and Practice in a Secured Environment: When? How?”
I invite you to consider that theme not merely as a topic for a Law Week celebration, but as a question addressed to every one of us in this room.
When shall we have a legal system in which justice is administered without fear?
How shall we build an environment in which lawyers can discharge their professional duties without intimidation, judges can decide cases without threats, witnesses can testify without fear for their lives, and citizens can seek justice without feeling that the courthouse is another battlefield?
And perhaps the most uncomfortable question of all: If not now, when? And if not us, who?
1. WHEN? THE TIME IS NOW!
Distinguished colleagues, the answer to the first question is simple: now!
Not tomorrow, when insecurity has become a distant memory. Not next year, when all the necessary legislation has been passed. Not when every government agency has acquired the perfect equipment or when every institution has attained the ideal level of efficiency.
The time to begin is now, because justice delayed by fear is justice denied by another name.
We must understand that security and justice are not competing interests. They are partners in the survival of a civilised society.
A society cannot be truly secure where innocent citizens live in fear of violence. Neither can it be considered just where the law is used to intimidate the weak, shield the powerful, or silence those who dare to demand accountability.
A secured environment is not simply one where there are security personnel at strategic locations. It is one where the law commands respect, public institutions inspire confidence, and the ordinary citizen knows that his or her rights are not dependent on wealth, political influence, social connections, or the ability to hire the most expensive lawyer in town.
Security must include physical safety, institutional stability, economic confidence, digital protection, and the assurance that the law will be applied fairly.
And for us as legal practitioners, security must also mean the freedom to practise our profession without threats, harassment, unlawful interference, or fear of reprisals for doing what the law requires.
Let us be honest with ourselves. What is the value of a brilliant legal argument if counsel cannot safely reach the courtroom to present it? What is the value of an independent judiciary if those who approach it are threatened into silence? And what is the value of a beautifully drafted law if the institutions responsible for enforcing it are compromised or ineffective?
The time for legal administration in a secured environment is not some distant date on our national calendar.
It is today. It begins with the next decision we make, the next case we handle, the next official we hold accountable, and the next citizen whose rights we defend.
2. HOW? BY RESTORING THE AUTHORITY OF THE LAW
Distinguished colleagues, if the time is now, the next question is how.
My first answer is this: we must restore the authority of the law, not merely the appearance of authority.
A society is not governed by the rule of law simply because it has a constitution, statutes, courts, and legal practitioners. It is governed by the rule of law when those entrusted with power submit themselves to the same law they administer.
The rule of law must not be a weapon reserved for the poor and a suggestion offered to the powerful.
It must apply to the government and the governed, the influential and the vulnerable, the security officer and the citizen, the lawyer and the layperson.
When public officials act within the law, when law enforcement agencies respect constitutional rights, when courts are independent, and when judgments are obeyed, confidence in the legal system grows.
But when court orders are treated as inconveniences, when legal processes are manipulated, when the innocent are punished and the powerful escape accountability, insecurity finds fertile ground.
For insecurity is not always born with a gun in its hand. Sometimes, it begins with injustice ignored, corruption tolerated, grievances dismissed, and institutions that have lost the confidence of the people.
As lawyers, we must insist that security measures remain lawful, proportionate, and accountable. The protection of society must never become an excuse for the destruction of the very liberties that society exists to protect.
We must continually remind those in authority that the rule of law is not the enemy of security; it is the foundation upon which sustainable security is built.
3. THE LAWYER: A DEFENDER OF JUSTICE AND AN ARCHITECT OF PEACE
My learned colleagues, allow me to bring this conversation closer to home.
Sometimes, we speak about insecurity as though it is exclusively the responsibility of the police, the military, the government, or other security agencies.
Certainly, these institutions have critical responsibilities. But the lawyer also has a role that cannot be outsourced.
We are officers of the court. We are advocates for our clients. We are advisers to government, businesses, families, and communities. We are, in many instances, the bridge between the citizen and the institutions of justice.
Our responsibility, therefore, extends beyond winning cases.
Yes, we must fight vigorously for our clients. Yes, we must challenge injustice and expose illegality. Yes, we must be fearless in the defence of our professional convictions.
But we must also remember that the administration of justice is not a sporting contest in which the humiliation of the opponent is the ultimate prize.
A lawyer can be firm without being insulting, fearless without being reckless, and persuasive without being dishonest.
We must resist the temptation to convert professional disagreement into personal warfare. We must not allow the courtroom to become a theatre of hostility or the legal profession to become a platform for vendettas.
There is a difference between being an advocate and being an aggressor. There is a difference between defending a client’s rights and defending every action of a client, regardless of its legality or morality.
Our professional ethics must remain our compass.
And let me add something particularly important: the security of the legal profession itself deserves attention. Lawyers must be able to represent unpopular clients, challenge unlawful conduct, prosecute offences, defend the accused, and pursue public-interest litigation without being subjected to threats or violence.
The right to counsel must mean something in practice. The independence of the Bar must be protected. Threats against legal practitioners must be taken seriously, and appropriate protective measures must be available where risks arise.
For when a lawyer is intimidated into silence, the injury does not end with that lawyer. It extends to the client, the court, the legal profession, and ultimately, the administration of justice.
A courageous Bar is essential to a secure democracy, but courage must be matched with competence, integrity, and professional discipline.
4. SECURITY BEGINS BEFORE THE COURTROOM
Distinguished guests, let us consider another dimension of legal administration.
Security is often discussed in terms of what happens when danger has already arrived. But effective security is not merely reactive; it is preventive.
We must ask ourselves: Are our court premises adequately protected? Are lawyers, judicial officers, litigants, witnesses, and court staff reasonably safe? Are there reliable procedures for reporting threats? Are sensitive case files protected? Are our digital systems secure?
In an age where legal practice increasingly depends on electronic communication, online filing, digital records, and electronic evidence, we must appreciate that security is no longer confined to the physical courtroom.
A compromised email account can expose privileged information. An unsecured digital file can jeopardise a client’s case. Careless handling of confidential information can undermine the trust that forms the foundation of the lawyer-client relationship.
We must therefore embrace appropriate cybersecurity measures, responsible data management, secure communication, and continuous professional development.
Our courts and justice institutions must also invest in reliable infrastructure, adequate personnel, effective case management, and practical emergency-response arrangements.
There must be cooperation between the judiciary, the Bar, law enforcement agencies, correctional institutions, and other relevant stakeholders, with clear respect for their respective legal responsibilities and institutional independence.
We must also pay attention to the human dimension of security.
A justice system overwhelmed by delays, inaccessible procedures, inadequate facilities, and avoidable administrative bottlenecks creates frustration and erodes confidence.
Where people cannot obtain timely and fair resolution of disputes, they may become more vulnerable to self-help, exploitation, and alternative arrangements that disregard the law.
This is why efficient legal administration matters.
A well-administered justice system does more than resolve disputes. It prevents disputes from escalating, encourages lawful conduct, protects investment and property, and gives citizens a peaceful avenue for addressing grievances.
The courthouse must be a place where conflict is resolved by law, not where fear follows people through its doors.
5. ORON, THE NBA, AND OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
Permit me, at this point, to speak to the significance of our gathering here in Oron.
Every branch of the Nigerian Bar Association is more than an administrative unit of a national professional body. It is a community of legal practitioners with the opportunity to influence the character of justice in its immediate environment.
The NBA Oron Branch has a valuable platform from which to contribute to public enlightenment, professional development, constructive engagement with justice-sector institutions, and the promotion of peaceful dispute resolution.
Our communities need lawyers who are accessible, responsive, and committed to the public good.
They need legal practitioners who can explain the law in language ordinary citizens understand; who can educate young people about their rights and responsibilities; who can encourage peaceful settlement where appropriate; and who can insist that public authorities discharge their duties lawfully.
We must engage meaningfully with relevant stakeholders to identify security challenges affecting legal practice and the administration of justice in our communities.
We must support measures that improve court safety, strengthen the protection of witnesses, facilitate the lawful reporting of threats against legal practitioners, and promote the timely handling of cases.
We must also use our collective voice to advocate for the resources, institutional reforms, and legislative measures required to make justice more accessible and effective.
And we must not forget the next generation.
The young lawyer entering practice today should not have to choose between professional integrity and personal safety. The young advocate should not have to believe that success depends on compromising ethical standards. The young lawyer should be mentored to understand that the true measure of professional excellence is not merely how much one earns or how many cases one wins, but the quality of justice one helps to deliver.
Let us build a Bar that is respected not merely because lawyers are learned, but because they are trustworthy; not merely because they are influential, but because they are responsible; not merely because they can argue the law, but because they are prepared to defend its values.
6. THE DANGER OF BECOMING COMFORTABLE WITH INJUSTICE
Ladies and gentlemen, there is a danger more subtle than physical insecurity: the danger of becoming accustomed to what ought to trouble our conscience.
When threats against lawyers become ordinary, we must be concerned.
When court orders are disregarded without meaningful consequences, we must be concerned.
When citizens lose faith in lawful remedies, we must be concerned.
When corruption is excused as a necessary survival strategy, when professional misconduct is defended because the offender is our friend, and when wrongdoing is condemned only when committed by our opponents, we must be concerned.
The greatest threat to the rule of law is not always the person who openly breaks it. Sometimes, it is the person who knows it has been broken but chooses convenience over conscience.
We must not allow familiarity with dysfunction to destroy our capacity for outrage against injustice.
And let us be careful: professional solidarity does not mean protecting every lawyer regardless of conduct. True solidarity means protecting the integrity of the profession, insisting on due process, and holding ourselves to the ethical standards we demand of others.
Our independence as lawyers must never be for sale. Our conscience must not be negotiable. Our commitment to justice must not depend on who is standing before the court.
If we desire a secured environment, we must first become people who can be trusted with the responsibility of securing it.
7. A CALL TO ACTION: WHAT MUST WE DO NOW?
My learned colleagues, I do not want us to leave this dinner with beautiful photographs, memorable conversations, and a theme that disappears as soon as the music begins.
I want us to leave with a renewed sense of responsibility.
Let me propose five commitments.
First, let us defend the rule of law consistently. We must speak against illegality regardless of who benefits from it. Our loyalty to justice must exceed our loyalty to personalities and political interests.
Second, let us protect the independence and safety of the legal profession. We must advocate effective security arrangements for courts and legal practitioners, take threats seriously, and support lawful mechanisms for addressing intimidation and violence.
Third, let us improve the administration of justice. We must promote efficient case management, appropriate technology, continuous training, and constructive collaboration among the institutions responsible for delivering justice.
Fourth, let us make the law work for ordinary people. Through pro bono services, public legal education, community engagement, and responsible advocacy, we must help citizens understand that the law belongs to them too.
Fifth, let us begin with ourselves. Let integrity define our practice. Let civility guide our disagreements. Let competence distinguish our work. Let empathy inform our dealings with clients. And let accountability begin at the Bar before we demand it from the Bench or the government.
These are not impossible expectations. They are practical steps towards a profession that is safer, stronger, more respected, and more effective.
8. CONCLUSION: WHEN? HOW? THE ANSWER IS US.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, as I draw to a close, permit me to return to the two questions that frame our theme.
When shall we have legal administration and practice in a secured environment?
We begin now.
How shall we achieve it?
By making the law more than a book on our shelves; by making justice more than a promise in our Constitution; by making professional ethics more than words in our Rules of Professional Conduct; and by making security a shared responsibility of institutions, communities, and individuals.
We must build a society where the citizen does not have to know somebody before the law can hear him; where the lawyer does not have to fear for her safety because she has taken a principled position; where the judge can decide according to law without intimidation; and where the strength of an individual is measured not by the fear he inspires, but by the justice he upholds.
I believe that the future of our profession will not be determined only by the laws we enact, the judgments we deliver, or the policies governments announce.
It will also be determined by the choices we make when nobody is watching; by the courage we display when speaking out is uncomfortable; by the integrity we preserve when compromise is profitable; and by the compassion we extend when the person before us has little power to offer in return.
Let us remember that the law is not secured merely by the walls of our courthouses. It is secured by the conscience of those who administer it and the courage of those who defend it.
And perhaps, when the history of our time is written, the question will not be whether we lived through difficult circumstances. The question will be whether we allowed those circumstances to diminish our commitment to justice or whether we rose to the occasion and became the generation that strengthened the institutions entrusted to us.
My learned colleagues, let us choose to be that generation.
Let us be the Bar that refuses to surrender to fear.
Let us be the Bar that chooses integrity over convenience, justice over prejudice, dialogue over needless hostility, and the rule of law over the rule of force.
Let us make our courtrooms safer, our institutions stronger, our practice more ethical, and our communities more peaceful.
And when the next generation asks us, “What did you do when the administration of justice was threatened? What did you do when insecurity challenged the rule of law?” may our answer not be that we merely attended a dinner and discussed the problem.
May we be able to say: We stood up. We spoke out. We did the work. We defended the law. And we helped make a difference.
That, distinguished colleagues, is when.
That is how.
And that is the responsibility we must carry beyond tonight.
Thank you for the honour of your attention.
God bless the Nigerian Bar Association, Oron Branch.
God bless the legal profession.
And God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Enjoy your dinner!
A story of courage, wonder, and the transformative power of self-belief; perfect for readers aged 10+ who love adventure. To place order: +234 806 130 3237 | +234 803 582 0870 OR Tap the link to grab a copy:https://www.zeekapublish.com/product/the-magical-life-of-anna
