The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Mahmud Mohammed has expressed worries over the rising number of fake lawyers in the country.
Mohammed who stated this during the official launch of Stamp for Lawyers, which was produced by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Wednesday, complained that the prevalence of fake lawyers negatively affects the integrity of the legal profession and casts a shadow of disrepute on the judiciary as an arm of government in the country.
He insisted that one of the major challenges facing Judges is how to differentiate between a real and fake legal practitioner.
“Indeed, Judges find it difficult to identify which counsel, appearing before them, is genuine or otherwise.
“Of even greater concern is the fact that members of the public are often left in a quandary over which they can place their trust, property and even lives in.
“We must not forget that the credibility of the Bar has a direct impact on respect for the Rule of Law and the independence of the Courts.
“This is why it is our collective responsibility to ensure that the stamp is used as a veritable means of authenticating a qualified legal practitioner and the documents emanating from him.
”I believe that the stamp can, if properly deployed, become a hallmark of a firm’s work and a way for prospective clients to better identify their counsel- a veritable means to “Know Your Counsel,” he said.
He added, “Thus, having an innovation, which may bestow a “stamp” of integrity and respect, is indeed welcome.
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