Justice Agim laments decline in legal knowledge, urges revival of mentorship
Supreme Court Justice Emmanuel Agim has raised alarm over the declining reading culture and poor legal knowledge among Nigerian lawyers, describing it as a major threat to the integrity of the legal profession.
Speaking on Friday at the Legacy Dialogue 2.0 organised by the JASAN Foundation in Abuja, themed “Institutionalisation of Mentorship in the Legal Profession: A Strategic Blueprint for Professional Development,” Justice Agim said many lawyers no longer study judgments or engage in proper legal research before making public comments.
He condemned the attitude of lawyers who, despite holding court judgments in their hands, fail to read them but go on television to “spew ignorance loudly and with audacity.” According to him, “Poor readership and poor knowledge of law — that’s our problem today. If a lawyer knows the law, it is very difficult for him to be unethical. If a judge knows the law, it is very difficult for him to be corrupt.”
The Justice also dismissed insinuations that judges belong to secret cults, describing such claims as absurd. He said integrity and godly conscience remain the foundation of the judiciary, adding that no one can be evil and still expect divine protection.
Agim lamented the erosion of character and professional ethics in legal practice, noting that many lawyers now focus on winning cases at all costs rather than seeking justice. “When I was a lawyer, we had cases already settled by law, and you knew what your opposing counsel would say. But today, people go to court to win, not to get justice,” he said.
Justice Mabel Segun-Bello of the Federal High Court warned that the exodus of young lawyers from courtroom practice due to poor remuneration and lack of mentorship threatens the future of the legal profession. She observed that many now prefer corporate jobs, politics, or entrepreneurship, leading to a loss of continuity in courtroom advocacy.
Segun-Bello, who pioneered digital affidavits in Nigeria’s judiciary, noted that while technology has improved efficiency, it has also weakened traditional mentorship structures. She urged senior lawyers and judges to take responsibility for guiding younger practitioners and restoring passion and discipline to the profession.
President of the JASAN Foundation, Johnny Agim (SAN), and Ondo State Attorney-General, Dr. Kayode Ajulo (SAN), both emphasised the need to institutionalise mentorship, stressing that success in law should be measured not only by personal achievements but by the ability to raise the next generation of ethical and knowledgeable lawyers.
