STRIKER: When Justice Bows To Power
“The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom.” – Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird
Atticus Finch also reminded us: “Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal… but there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal—there is one human nike lebron backpack red black dress shoes size – Cushioned Vomero Plus Running Shoe , EduShops° – Available Now: Nike's Max institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller… That institution, gentlemen, is a court.” Together, these words underscore a timeless truth: the courtroom is meant to be the great leveler, the one place where justice does not bow to wealth, privilege, or power.
Yet in Nigeria today, many citizens no longer believe nike dunk high cargo khaki white this is true. The legal profession, once revered as the guardian of justice, increasingly struggles under the weight of corruption, indiscipline, and impunity within its own ranks. At the heart of this problem lies the failure to hold lawyers accountable for misconduct.
A growing menace is the filing of frivolous cases—claims brought not for justice but to harass opponents or delay outcomes. These cases clog the dockets of judges, consuming scarce judicial time and resources that could otherwise serve genuine litigants. Closely tied to this abuse is the reckless resort to ex parte orders, often obtained under dubious circumstances and weaponized to achieve what the law would not ordinarily allow. Such tactics undermine judicial integrity and erode public faith in the courts.
Many times judges get pilloried for delivering conflicting judgments, especially at the appellate level; however, the lawyers who argue these sometimes-absurd positions of law are not subjected to equal scorn, and neither are they questioned by the Nigerian Bar Association. Worse still, the NBA itself has been reduced to a body that bites only when the lawyer in breach is deemed inconsequential, but somehow becomes toothless when the lawyer is a man of repute and means in the profession. This selective discipline reinforces the sense that the rules are negotiable for the powerful, while the weak bear the full weight of regulation.
The situation is worsened by the conduct of “big wigs” of the Bar who, shielded by rank and political connections, routinely flout the rules of professional practice with impunity. When senior lawyers treat the rules as suggestions rather than obligations, they set a damaging precedent for younger practitioners and signal that corruption pays.
For the ordinary Nigerian, these patterns are devastating. A common man who steps into court with hope often meets endless adjournments, compromised nike air force 1 07 black cool grey racer blue white processes, and a perception that justice is for sale. The sense that “the system is rigged” discourages citizens from seeking redress in lawful ways, pushing disputes into the streets rather than the courtroom.
Discipline, therefore, is not a luxury for the legal profession—it is its lifeline. The Bar must show that no lawyer, no matter how senior, is above the rules. Reviving strict oversight, punishing abuse of court processes, and holding practitioners to account are essential steps if the courts are to remain places where the poor and powerful alike can expect a square deal. A society where the interest of the common man is secured is a society destined barron trump height tall nikes melania donald trump for greatness.
The opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the author. It does not represent the editorial position or opinion of OSUN DEFENDER.
