To Enrich Nigeria’s Jurisprudence, Idigbe Urges SANs to Consider Serving as Judges

Wale Igbintade 

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Anthony Idigbe, has urged Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to consider serving as judges, stressing that it will help transform Nigeria’s jurisprudence.

Idigbe stated this at the pre-SAN confernment dinner organised by a law firm, Pinheiro LP.

Idigbe suggested that those who have achieved the rank of SAN could consider other opportunities the rank provides, including serving as judges. 

He said: “From my experience, I suggest you do it early, say three or four years after elevation.

“I recall Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) encouraging me to apply for an appointment as a Supreme Court judge and telling me about 13 years ago that he would have done the same, but for his age, which was too close to the then retirement age of 65 years. 

“Many of us are passionate about mixing the backgrounds of those in the policy court. 

“Unfortunately, I must share the same sentiment as Chief Olanipekun with you today: I’m getting dangerously close to my potential exit even if I get the opportunity,” he added.

Addressing the new SANs, Idigbe said: “You are young and can enter the judicial space now and impact the jurisprudence. 

“I suggest that some of you explore becoming judges at the entry-level of the High Court – say three to four years from now. 

“Once SANs begin to be appointed at that level, it would soon become the norm, and the season of appointment of only failed practitioners to the junior bench will be a thing of the past,” he added.

Making a case for the SANs to accept to serve on the Bench, Idigbe recalled: “At some point in my practice, the briefs and associated money no longer motivated me, given the jurisprudence coming from the courts. 

“While my practice brings solutions to particular clients, I could not impact the general jurisprudence from the outside.

“Maslow’s laws of the hierarchy of needs applied at some point, and I then understood why my father abandoned successful legal practice twice to go to the Bench. 

“Also, though I swore that my father had made too many sacrifices for Nigeria that I needed to focus on running a financially successful legal practice, I soon found myself with the same craving to serve,” he explained.

Idigbe also urged legal practitioners to uphold the profession’s ethics, otherwise the entire legal system risks collapse. 

“Understanding that a Senior Advocate must adhere to ethical standards is non-negotiable,” the SAN said.

He added: “It has also become increasingly alarming that some lawyers have continued to engage in ‘Jankara practice.’

“Some have been disbarred because of professional misconduct.  

“Recently, a Senior Advocate sued me and used a fake address for service, a tactic more reflective of the ‘sharp practice’ he must have engaged in before his conferment as SAN,” he alleged.

Idigbe urged SANs to unite in fighting for legal and judicial reforms. 

He said: “We need to review the current standards for admission into the Nigerian Bar and recommend changes; review the ethical requirements for the legal profession and determine the adequacy of such requirements and how best to maintain high ethical and professional standards in the legal profession; and review the structures for regulating the legal profession.

“The reform that I encourage us to champion is a symbiotic relationship that puts legal practitioners at the forefront of all industries, the economy, and the politics of the country. 

“Indeed, my interest in these reforms is selfish because we risk losing relevance. 

“If the system is limping, we will have a situation where clients turn to the police or other agencies and, worse still, unregulated self-help organisations for dispute resolution instead of seeking our counsel. 

“Unfortunately, this is already happening. A clear example is the real estate sector, where many clients prefer dealing with estate agents rather than lawyers. 

“This shift is not solely about professional fees; it stems from a lack of trust, as some lawyers have unfortunately betrayed that trust by mishandling client funds. 

“If we implement better regulations and uphold our standards, we can ensure that lawyers remain integral to every facet of the economy – politics, boardrooms, or beyond. 

“In the United States, a vast majority of politicians and successful businesspeople are lawyers. 

“The same potential exists in Nigeria, and we must harness it,” Idigbe said.