Convener of the Vanguard for the Independence of the Judiciary, Douglas Ogbankwa, Esq., has condemned what he described as an unacceptable attack on a lawyer by activist and politician Omoyele Sowore, calling on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to take steps to protect lawyers from verbal attacks and professional denigration.
Ogbankwa, in a statement titled “The Court Is a Temple of Justice, Not a Stable of Jesters,” stressed that the courtroom is a sacred institution where justice is administered and the legal profession must be treated with dignity and respect.
He maintained that litigants and other individuals appearing before the court should not engage in conduct that undermines lawyers or disrupts the decorum expected within judicial proceedings.
According to him, it is unacceptable for anyone to use the courtroom as a platform to insult or intimidate legal practitioners while seeking justice through the same institution.
The legal practitioner cited an alleged incident involving Sowore and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), alongside previous controversies involving social media personality VeryDarkMan (VDM), whom he accused of referring to lawyers as clowns.
Ogbankwa argued that such incidents reflected a troubling pattern of public attacks on members of the legal profession, warning that continued disrespect for lawyers could undermine the dignity of the justice system.
He urged the Nigerian Bar Association to rise to the occasion by defending its members against what he described as deliberate attempts to ridicule and discredit the legal profession.
The convener further expressed concern that some individuals who criticise lawyers publicly often rely on legal practitioners when confronted with personal or legal challenges.
He called on members of the legal profession to unite in protecting their professional integrity and ensuring that courtrooms remain places of order, respect and lawful conduct.
“The court is a temple of justice and not a stable of jesters,” Ogbankwa declared, reiterating his position that the judiciary and the legal profession must not be subjected to conduct capable of diminishing public confidence in the administration of justice.
He concluded by urging lawyers to defend the dignity of their profession and resist what he considers a growing culture of disrespect towards legal practitioners.
