A former Chairman of the Lagos Branch, , SAN, has called for urgent and deliberate efforts to rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s legal system, warning that the continued erosion of confidence in the judiciary could render the legal profession irrelevant. He made this assertion in a goodwill message to the NBA Gwagwalada Branch ahead of its 2026 Annual Law Week, where he emphasized that restoring credibility in the justice system is critical to preserving the rule of law and maintaining order in society.
Read full statement below;
I warmly felicitate the Branch Executive, the Planning Committee, and the entire membership of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA Gwagwalada Branch on the occasion of their 2026 Annual Law Week.
The theme, “Rebuilding Public Trust in the Nigerian Legal System,” is both timely and profoundly significant. Public trust remains the lifeblood of every credible justice system. As lawyers, we are ministers in the temple of justice, entrusted with the sacred duty of defending the rule of law and safeguarding the integrity of legal institutions.
It must be said with sincerity that if trust is not restored in our legal system, the consequences will be grave. Once the public loses confidence in the courts and the legal process, people will inevitably resort to extrajudicial means in the pursuit of justice. In such circumstances, lawyers risk becoming irrelevant in society, retaining the title but losing the substance and dignity of the profession. Ultimately, the absence of trust in the justice system breeds disorder and threatens the foundations of civil society.
The responsibility therefore rests jointly on the Bar and the Bench to consciously rebuild and sustain public confidence in our legal system. If we all make the necessary sacrifices today, the profession will reap the rewards tomorrow.
I wish the Branch a most successful and impactful Law Week.
Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe,SAN, (FCIArb) Former Chairman NBA Lagos Branch
