THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the conduct of a press interview by activist and a former presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Omoyele Sowore, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, March 24, describing it as a disruption of courtroom decorum.
Recall that Sowore had clashed with a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Musibau Adetunbi, who confronted him while attempting to address journalists inside the courtroom.
The SAN had insuisted that the courtroom was not an appropriate venue for a press briefing.
NBA, in a statement on Wednesday, March 25, signed by its President, Afam Osigwe, said courtrooms in a constitutional democracy are open to the public to promote transparency and public confidence, but must be conducted with restraint, discipline and respect for judicial authority.
As a result, NBA expressed concern over the incident, saying Sowore entered the courtroom accompanied by individuals carrying camera phones and recording equipment and “proceeded to set up what appeared to be preparations for a press conference within the courtroom itself,” as members of his team attended to him “in a manner akin to a broadcast setting,” after which he moved into the inner bar, sat on a table and began addressing “a range of national issues,” despite his case not being listed for hearing and his not being accompanied by any legal practitioner.
The association stated: “Any conduct that undermines the dignity of the court, intimidates legal practitioners or disrupts proceedings constitutes a grave affront to the rule of law,” adding that the use of a courtroom as a venue for “publicity, advocacy theatrics or confrontation is unacceptable and inconsistent with the discipline required in judicial proceedings.”
While acknowledging that every Nigerian has the right to attend court proceedings, NBA stressed that such access “does not extend to converting the courtroom into a platform for press briefings or actions capable of undermining the dignity and authority of the court.”
It condemned Sowore’s actions and expressed solidarity with Adetunbi and other lawyers who insisted on maintaining order, noting: “We also call on court authorities to ensure that courtrooms remain protected spaces for the orderly administration of justice and free from acts capable of intimidating legal practitioners.”
The lawyers union said it would continue to defend the dignity of the legal profession and sanctity of judicial proceedings, insisting that the courtroom must remain a place of order, respect and disciplined advocacy.
Similarly, a retired Federal High Court Judge, Taiwo Taiwo, said court premises are “sacrosanct” and designated solely for the dispensation of justice, arguing that public buildings, including courts, are created for specific purposes and no one is at liberty to hold a press conference in any public building if the administrators of that building do not permit.
“You cannot hold a press conference inside a Police station, a state house, a military barracks or offices of security agencies as a citizen. The same applies to courtrooms,” insisting that such actions undermine the dignity of the judiciary.
Taiwo stated that Judges, by tradition and constitutional role, communicate only through their rulings and judgments, not through public engagements or media briefings.
He warned against what he described as a growing tendency to stretch the interpretation of fundamental human rights beyond reasonable limits, saying such actions could erode public confidence in the judicial system.
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