A former Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Benin Branch, Mr Douglas Ogbankwa, has urged lawyers to engage in legal research to ensure effective service delivery.
Ogbakwa shared his thoughts while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos on ways to enhance legal services in Nigeria.
According to him, the success of a case would depend on the extent of research embarked on by the lawyer handling it.
He noted that research should not be ignored.
“Winning a case or otherwise depends on your deep analysis of the case and the level of research carried out before you proceed to court, because cases are won and lost in chambers.
“A lawyer is expected to ascertain whether those international conventions and treaties have been domesticated before ascertaining their operation,” he said.
Ogbakwa stated that in criminal trials a lawyer would be expected to evaluate evidence, objections raised against admissibility of documents and any decisions of the court.
He added that from a lower court’s decision, a competent lawyer could evaluate the decision of the apex court on a similar issue, to ensure that facts and authorities to be used would be suitable.
“A good lawyer is expected to identify, isolate and raise all possible preliminary objections and even conduct mock arguments with his colleagues just to see the arguments on the other side,” he said.
Ogbakwa also urged lawyers to cultivate the habit of staying back in court after their cases to learn from proceedings in other cases and carry out research afterwards.
“Legal research is what distinguishes a lawyer and makes him take his pride of place; so, it is important that Nigerian lawyers do so with much circumspection.”