Increase in Cases of Impersonation of Lawyers in Nigeria: Making Case for Reforms

  • Olajumoke Shaeeb Nigerian Law School
  • Ileola Adesina Nigerian Law School
  • Omoniyi Bukola Akinola, PhD Nigerian Law School
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37284/eajle.6.1.1118
Keywords: Legal Practice, Impersonation, Menace, Reforms
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Abstract

Lawyering and legal practice require proper certification by the regulatory bodies in the legal profession in line with extant legislations. It is getting worrisome to see persons not called to the Bar rendering services to undiscerning clients, albeit illegally. The vice of impersonation is on the increase within the Nigerian legal market. Cases of fake lawyers across the Nigerian legal hemisphere are being reported almost on a monthly basis. This paper reconciles the extant provisions dealing with the impersonation of lawyers in Nigeria by virtue of section 22 of the Legal Practitioners Act 2004. It further examines contemporary impersonation practices in other jurisdictions and the Nigerian Legal market. The paper ends with suggested reforms such as a review of the provisions of extant statutes in this respect and a call for other socio-legal alternatives towards curbing the menace

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References

Statutes

Section 17 of the Legal Practitioners Act No 33 of 1962

Section 8 Legal Practitioners Act Cap L11 LFN 2004

Section 22 Legal Practitioners Act Cap L11 LFN 2004

Section 24 Legal Practitioners Act Cap L 11 LFN 2004

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Auchi Polytechnic V. Okuoghae ( 2005) 10 NWLR (Pt 933) 279.

Commissioner of Police V. Emmanuel Ojo MI/425c/2017 unreported case in Oyo State

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The Law Society of Ontario vs Kopyto Harry (Court File No: CV – 19 – 617826 – 0000

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Hornby A. S., Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Oxford University Press New 9th Edition, (2015), p. 788

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https://lso.ca/protecting-the-public/taking-action-against-illegal-practitioners Accessed 24 July 2020

https://www.vanguardngr.com July 23, 2020. Fake lawyer bags 3 years imprisonment in Ogun State, Nigeria.

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https://ex-rate.com accessed 15 July 2020

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/RoleOfLawyers.aspx accessed on the 27 July 2020

Published
2 March, 2023
How to Cite
Shaeeb, O., Adesina, I., & Akinola, O. (2023). Increase in Cases of Impersonation of Lawyers in Nigeria: Making Case for Reforms. East African Journal of Law and Ethics, 6(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajle.6.1.1118
Issue
Vol 6 No 1 (2023): East African Journal of Law and Ethics
Section
Articles

Copyright (c) 2023 Olajumoke Shaeeb, Ileola Adesina, Omoniyi Bukola Akinola, PhD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.