A LAWYER’S DUTY OF RESPECT DOES NOT END AT THE COURTROOM DOOR*
Yesterday, my attention was drawn to insulting remarks directed at a judicial officer by Kalu Kalu, Esq. during the 11 November 2026 edition of Politics Today, hosted by Seun Okinbaloye. I have since obtained and watched a recording of the programme.
On behalf of the Nigerian Bar Association, I condemn the use of such language unequivocally. A lawyer’s disagreement with a judicial decision, however strongly held, cannot excuse personal abuse of the judge who delivered it. Neither the intensity of a political controversy nor the platform on which a lawyer speaks relieves that lawyer of professional responsibility.
Lawyers have every right to examine judgments, challenge their reasoning and expose errors. Indeed, rigorous criticism contributes to the development of the law and the administration of justice.
Judges are accountable for their exercise of judicial power, and the NBA will continue to insist on that accountability. But personal insults do nothing to establish that a judgment is wrong. They offer the public no legal analysis and provide no remedy for an aggrieved litigant. Instead, they diminish the quality of public debate and bring our profession into disrepute.
The Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2023 require lawyers to maintain high standards of professional conduct and to treat the courts with respect, dignity and honour. They also provide for complaints against judicial officers to be made to the appropriate authorities. These obligations cannot be put aside when a lawyer steps into a television studio.
Our professional standing gives our words particular weight. Members of the public are entitled to expect that a lawyer discussing a judgment will help them understand the issues, the reasoning and the available remedies. That standing carries a responsibility to exercise judgment and restraint, especially when passions are high.
Accordingly, I have forwarded a formal petition, together with the relevant broadcast material (which is also attached to this statement), to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for consideration in accordance with the applicable procedure. (Broadcast clip: https://nigerianbar.online/assets/nba-kalu-kalu-politics-today-clip.mp4)
Mr. Kalu Kalu will be entitled to respond. Whether professional misconduct has occurred and what sanction, if any, is appropriate will be matters for the Committee to determine. Respect for due process does not, however, require the NBA to remain silent about language that falls below the standards we expect of our members.
The Bar must be able to demand accountability from the Bench and insist on discipline within its own ranks. Our credibility depends on our willingness to do both.
I urge every member of our profession to take this responsibility seriously. We can speak firmly, disagree profoundly and challenge judicial decisions with all the force that the law permits. But we must also remember that the manner in which we do so teaches the public something about the profession we represent.
Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN FCIArb
President, Nigerian Bar Association
13 November 2026
