The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, will lead other prominent Nigerians in the legal profession, media, and academics, on discussion about how to salvage the image of the Nigerian Judiciary at the 2024 Gavel International Annual Conference slated for 29 November, 2024.
The event, with the theme: "The Judiciary as the Last Hope of the Common Man: Media and Legal Perspectives" will see Prince Fagbemi deliver the Keynote Address. The lecture is to be chaired by Mr Gbenga Oyebode, MFR, founder of Aluko & Oyebode Law Firm. Oyebode sits on the Boards of EnterpriseNGR Professional Advocacy Group, Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Centre, and the Rele Arts Foundation. He is passionate about developing education in Nigeria, especially within the justice system.
Former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Deacon Dele Adesina, SAN will deliver the main lecture. He is the Founder and Principal Partner, Dele Adesina LP, and a Life Bencher.
The Publisher of Gavel International, Mustapha Ogunsakin, said the 2024 Annual Lecture is designed to kick off conversations on the restoration of confidence of citizens in the country's Judiciary, which appears to be at an all time low.
"During the #EndSARS protests in 2020, a very major court building, the Lagos High Court, Igbosere, was razed by a mob. We saw the horrendous pictures of the burnt iconic building, particularly one of the arsonists in a Lawyer's wig and gown, with a machete in his hand. For me, that is very a scary imagery. We must begin to restore the hope of the common man, in the Judiciary especially. The alternative is anarchy", he said.
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Mr Ogunsakin posited that the legal and media professions - saddled with direct constitutional roles in the judicial system - must take the lead in restoring confidence in the judicial system.
"While the role of the legal profession is statutory, the media has the responsibility to represent the people by covering and reporting court proceedings, except it has to do with national security or cases involving minors. That is why the Constitution made provision for a public gallery in every court where journalists occupy to report cases and disseminate to the public."
He said the faculty constituted for the lecture comprises notable Lawyers, journalists, and academics who will give perspectives on the subject.
Notable among the discussants is Prof Hope Eghagha, a Professor of Literature and Literary Analysis at the University of Lagos, who will speak on how Nigerians currently perceive their Judiciary. He will be joined by Mr Richard Akinnola, a journalist and expert in judicial reporting; Mrs Joke Layi-Babatunde, a Lagos-based Lawyer; Mrs Tomi Ajayi, jurist and expert in criminal law and proceedings, and Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, foremost human rights activist.
Gavel International news portal has, over the years, hosted lectures and conferences in pursuit of its guiding principle - Rule of Law.
