"Judges are Corrupt Because They Know Not The Law" SC Judge who Had Delivered Over 600 Judgments Reveals
A Supreme Court Judge identified as Justice Emmanuel Agim has disclosed that most Nigerian Judges are corrupt because they are ignorant of the law, adding that if a lawyer knows the law, it is very difficult for him to be unethical.
According to Justice Agim, who disclosed that he had delivered over 600 judgments, it is impossible to understand the reasoning of a judge without studying the judgment itself. If a lawyer knows the law, it is very difficult for him to be unethical. Same way if a judge knows the law, it is very difficult for him to be corrupt. "But ignorance is bliss.” he declared.
He made the clarification on Friday while dismissing insinuations that judges belong to secret cults, at the Legacy Dialogue 2.0, organized by the Johnny Agim SAN (JASAN) Foundation in Abuja, with the theme “Institutionalization of Mentorship in the Legal Profession: A Strategic Blueprint for Professional Development.”
The jurist also lamented what he described as the erosion of character and professional integrity in today’s legal practice. “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. Poor readership, poor knowledge of law – that’s our problem today. Some lawyers hold judgments in their hands but don’t read them. They go on television to spew ignorance so loudly and with audacity. It is a shame,” he louded.
In a moving reflection on the state of ethics in the legal profession, Justice Agim said he found it absurd when people accused judges of belonging to cults. “I have a conscience. Otherwise, I should not be going to Holy Trinity Parish or even praying if I don’t have a conscience. God is my protection, my fortress, and my refuge. You cannot be evil and expect God to be all of that to you. But whenever I say this, a friend of mine would say, ‘I thought they said you justices all belong to cults.’ It is not so. We are ordinary human beings,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the President and Founder of the JASAN Foundation, Johnny Agim, SAN, announced that his team remains committed to fostering excellence in the legal profession through mentorship and sponsorship by creating a network of 500 well-rounded young lawyers poised to drive positive change by taking the rank of silk or becoming judges of courts of records in the next 10 years and ultimately becoming institutions in themselves. “As an advocate passionate about legal reforms and building a lasting legacy, I am preparing a platform to promote mentorship, sponsorship, reforms, and advocacy within the legal profession, nurturing generations of lawyers for excellence. #TheLegacy Dialogue, as our flagship annual thought leadership event, has become a veritable tool in achieving that goal by bringing together legal experts, academics, and stakeholders to explore innovative approaches to mentorship and sponsorship in the legal profession." he said.
This came after former Supreme Court Justice Ejembi Eko lamented the lack of structured mentorship in the legal profession, warning that the future of law in Nigeria was at risk if younger practitioners were not properly guided. “We multiplied numbers without multiplying mentors. Any profession that leaves its young ones unguided and unguarded loses its future.” the retired jurist added while advocating the establishment of a National Mentorship Council for lawyers to coordinate mentorship, professional ethics, and continuing education across the bar and the bench.
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