There are more than One Approach to Legal Activism – Muoka, Obe
Two Lagos lawyers, Mr. Alex Muoka and Mrs. Ayo Obe recently expressed the opinion that there was more to legal activism than populae demonstrations and strikes.
They were speaking at the Special Lecture organised by a group of lawyers known as ‘The Legal Torchbearers’ in honour of veteran lawyer and activist, Pa Olatunji Fortunatus Gomez on the occasion of his 90th birthday celebrations, in which they served as discussants on the Lecture Panel.
In his contribution, Muoka, a former chairman of the Lagos branch described legal activism as all-encompassing. He listed activities such as litigation (using the instrumentality of the law as a weapon against perceived injustice); active memberships of local Bar branches; and pro bono services, as valid forms of activism.
He called on fellow lawyers to embrace these other forms, as well as stand up to be counted during overt public demonstrations.
Echoing Alex Muoka’s views, Mrs. Ayo Obe (a former President of the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO) also described activism as not only a stand against anti-people actions by the powers-that-be, but also a stand in support of better practices by lawyers and institutions.
She cited the examples of former NBA president Alao Aka-Bashorun and the late Gani Fawehinmi, who were as critical of the excesses of the Bar and the Bench as they were of the establishment, and called for constant and honest self-appraisal on the part of the legal system in the country.
