Abuja – The Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr Tahir Mamman, on Thursday in Abuja disclosed that a recently qualified lawyer was convicted for malpractices during the school’s bar examination.
The director general made the disclosure at the Annual General Conference of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), decrying the increase in examination malpractices among law students.
He also berated some senior members of the NBA for encouraging malpractices by using their positions to influence the prosecution of defaulters.
Mamman said the management of the school would not relent in its effort to get rid of such lawyers, adding that they were capable of tarnishing the image of the profession.
"The recent increase in examination malpractice among law students is appalling and for three examinations running now, the school has registered increase in examination malpractices.
“Some recently qualified lawyers were caught writing examination for some resit students only three weeks ago.
"One was convicted three weeks ago and now serving six months imprisonment without option of fine in Kuje Prisons.
"Two are awaiting judgment while four others have just been arraigned,'' he said.
According to him, even more worrisome is that some senior members of the bar have attempted to put pressure on the school to drop the cases. This we find very reprehensible
"A senior member of the bar came to me recently to plead on behalf of some defaulters to say that any form of prosecution would destroy their careers, "he said.
Speaking on the quality of law students being turned out from the universities, the DG blamed the poor performance among students on a lack of interest in the legal profession.
He also blamed corruption in the admission system of some universities in the country for the quality of lawyers produced.
Mamman advised parents to allow their children to choose professions of their choice, rather than forcing them to take courses that were against their wishes.
He also called on school authorities to desist from corrupt practices capable of smearing the image of the profession. (NAN)
