The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Sunday urged legal professionals to reform and renovate the law profession in the country to meet international standards.
Osinbajo made the call at the inauguration ceremony of the Ultra Modern Sir Adetokunbo Ademola Dinning Hall of the Law School, Lagos.
The hall was remodeled and refurbished by the South Atlantic Petroleum Ltd. (SAPETRO), founded by a retired Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Theophillus Danjuma.
Osinbajo, a professor of law, said that the legal profession might continue to suffer serious decline and lose its pride of place in the affairs of the country, if fundamental reforms were not implemented.
“This is an institution where we teach the law, teach character and teach discipline. But the declining rate of law education in the country calls for concern.
“The Council of Legal Education is a statutory body charged with the responsibility of ensuring standards in the teaching and learning of legal education.
“I urge members of the Council to ensure that the necessary restructuring and reorganization of the legal education sector is put in place to promote the Nigeria legal system, until it is at par with international standard.
“The laws guiding legal education in Nigeria needed to be updated to reflect the demands of the time. Changes are necessary to bring up the quality of legal education in this country,” he said.
Also, Mr Olanrewaju Onadeko, Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, said that the institution was special as it had trained many lawyers in the country.
“Most of the lawyers in Nigeria today, from the Chief Justice to the Magistrates, went through this school and they are making us proud,” he said.
