Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has raised serious concerns over the state of Nigeria’s legal profession, warning that it is on the brink of collapse due to entrenched corruption, ethical violations, and resistance to change.
Speaking at the 2025 Law Week Plenary Session of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa Branch, held at the Nigerian Content Tower in Bayelsa State on Friday, Osinbajo lamented the damaging perception that both the Bar and Bench are deeply compromised.
His words: “The legal profession is crumbling under the weight of corruption, ethical violations, and poor standards.
“Stories of counsel acting as conduits for bribing judicial officers are rife. The perception that our system of justice is corrupt, and that both the Bar and Bench are culpable, is damaging enough.”
Addressing the sub-theme, “The Legal Profession: A Vision for a New Era,” Osinbajo stressed the urgency of reform in a rapidly changing world, shaped by technological advancements and global transformation. He warned that the legal field is at a critical crossroads.
He said: “Our profession needs a new vision, a new set of tools in a new era. We are in a vastly different time than when many of our legal tools and traditions were designed.
“Technology is now doing things faster, more accurately, and without fatigu, unlike human lawyers.”
He noted that artificial intelligence and legal tech are fast replacing basic legal tasks like research, analysis, and opinion writing.
“The systems don’t get tired, don’t ask for leave or extra pay. A big part of our cake has already been eaten by technology, and more will be bitten off very quickly,” he added.
According to Osinbajo, the legal profession is no longer the gatekeeper of legal reasoning or knowledge.
He said: “Machines can already find the law and summarize it better. Lawyers must now focus on what AI cannot do—ethical judgment, client advocacy, and interpreting what ought to be done.”
He called for an urgent revamp of legal education in Nigeria, advocating a curriculum that integrates AI literacy, data science, and cross-disciplinary training.
He stressed the importance of understanding algorithm bias, data privacy, and legal tech design.
“AI systems will increasingly take over legal tasks. The value of human lawyers must shift to higher-order thinking, ethical decision-making, and interpreting the law in the client’s best interest,” he said.
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