Away with Wig and Gown (2)

Last week obiter won as its custom is. But its victory was significant in that by its influence on me, it drag this smallest of all discussions into two parts.

This week, I am determined against its luring and cunning whiles. No matter how hard it tries, I am determined not to fall a prey.

Now, if you will permit me, can we proceed straight to our proceeding procedure? Sorry, that is a slip. I just remember that we cannot proceed on our proceeding procedure. Why? Our proceeding procedure on this page is to go by way of opata (Obiter) and we have just taken a decision against it because of the excesses it committed last week.
So, I correct myself in a desperate bid not to be a victim of opata(Obiter) this week.

Now, shall we proceed against our proceeding procedure? Yes, very good. Now that we have finally clipped the troublesome wings of opata, I beg to ask a question? What were we trying to say last week before we were rudely interrupted and completed derailed by this all-powerful adversary called opata?

Yes, we were discussing the touchy issue of wig and gown. Do you still remember the case of a young man who approached the D.G of the Law School to file a motion of tears and pleading that the dressing code of lawyers should forever include wig and down.

For those of you who started this discussion with us last week, let me ask you, did you hear what that intending-lawyer boy said. Did you hear him? Did you hear that colonized brat? Can you imagine somebody go through the rigor of legal education just because of price of a worthless wig and gown, one of the major vestiges of colonialism?

I am sure, the weather of the oyinbo from whose land our legal profession was transplanted to Nigeria contributed immensely to the dressing code of lawyers.

Now consider our own scotching weather and the decrepit state of our courts (most are without fan not to talk of Air-condition), how fit is the wig and gown? No wonder counsel sweat in some of our courts like Christmas goat when it is not yet Christmas. For many lawyers, the saying that everyday is not Christmas is incorrect. For them everyday is for them Christmas. A little wonder they also slump in court like Christmas goats. And many attribute it to oktumopo. Well, I want to say that no oKtumopo kills faster than colonial mentality.

The disease is so intense in its effect that it is no respecter of professionals. Even lawyers, the learned men are not spare! Tufi akua!

In this land we always pretend or claim to know the mother of Osho more than Osho.

The people, who gave us the wig and gown have stopped wearing it.

Besides their legal system bears resemblance with their culture and history.

Since the English Legal System was transplanted to our land at about 1900, how much have we interrogated it as a tool of social change in accordance with our culture as a people?

Why am I sounding serious all of a sudden? This is Obiter jare…I beginning to take to heart matters of a lighter mood…

Anyway don’t drag me into argument, I am a lawyer and I am proud and fine. All I am saying is, ‘away with colonial mentality, away also with its robes, particularly the ones it bequeathed to lawyers.’ Shalom!

Here is your Dearly Beloved Roving Public Lawyer, Taiwo AKINLAMI