As a follow-up to my yesterday's post, I want to clarify that a layman's right of audience should not be mistaken as a licence to appear for another in court.The relevant provision of the law cited in my yesterday's post does not vest any right in a non-lawyer to appear in court for another person as an advocate.By the provisions of the law, a layman is only entitled to appear in court to conduct his case himself alone and he cannot do so for another person at all let alone charge fees for such service.
It is only a person who has been called to the Nigeria bar as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that can appear as an advocate in court for another person.This is called legal representation.
By virtue of section 22 of the Legal Practioners' Act, Cap.207, Laws of the Federation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is an act of impersonation for a person who is not a legal practitioner to hold out himself as such in order to earn rewards and this act is declared in that section as an offence.
So, shun impersonation.
See you tomorrow.
Thank you for your attention.
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