Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun Issues Stern Warning Against the Profit Driven Commercialisation of Nigerian Legal Practice

Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun calls for an ethical reawakening in Nigeria's legal profession, warns against prioritizing profit over justice at NBA-SLP.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 9, 2026, 6:56 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from THISDAYLIVE

Judiciary Leadership Targets Erosion of Professional Ethics

Chief Justice of Nigeria Kudirat Kekere-Ekun delivered a firm mandate to the legal community, warning against the rising tide of commercialisation within the profession. At the 2026 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Legal Practice in Lagos, she asserted that the legal field must not be reduced to a profit,driven enterprise. The Chief Justice expressed deep concern regarding "transactional advocacy," where the fundamental goal of upholding the law is often secondary to the accumulation of wealth, a trend she believes jeopardizes the very foundation of the Nigerian judicial system.

Preserving the Sanctity of Justice Over Brief Fees

The Chief Justice highlighted a troubling shift where legal briefs are frequently accepted primarily for monetary reward rather than the enforcement of client rights or the advancement of legal theory. According to Kekere-Ekun, this focus on financial incentives undermines public confidence and diminishes the prestige of the legal vocation. She reminded practitioners that they are, first and foremost, ministers in the temple of justice, tasked with assisting the court in reaching equitable conclusions rather than exploiting the system for personal gain.

Countering Frivolous Litigation and Procedural Delays

A significant portion of the address focused on the responsibility of lawyers to discourage legal processes used as instruments of oppression, delay, or abuse. Amidst broader public frustration over the slow pace of justice administration, the Chief Justice called for an ethical reawakening to prevent the court system from being bogged down by meritless cases. She emphasized that practitioners have a higher duty to ensure that legal mechanisms are not manipulated to stall proceedings, which further erodes the credibility of the Bench and the Bar.