18/08/2026
THE WIG IS NOT A CROWN: A MIRROR FOR THE NIGERIAN BAR - Dr Kayode Ajulo, OON, SAN, FCIArb. UK
Sometimes, a disciplinary proceeding in another jurisdiction is not merely a foreign story. It is a mirror.
Recent proceedings involving an English barrister, Mariam El-Sobky, touching on allegations including unauthorised recording of court proceedings, confidentiality and professional conduct, should invite every lawyer, not merely in England, but in Nigeria, to pause and reflect.
For the lesson is larger than the case.
The wig is not a crown.
The gown is not armour.
The brief is not a licence.
They are symbols of trust.
A lawyer is not merely one who knows the law. A lawyer is one to whom society entrusts the law.
That trust carries weight.
We hold the confidences of clients, argue for liberty, protect property, defend reputation and assist courts in the search for justice. Therefore, the greater the privilege, the greater the discipline required.
The Qur’an captures this beautifully:
“Render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people, judge with justice.”
— Qur’an 4:58
And the Bible speaks with equal force:
“Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly…”
— Micah 6:8
These are not merely religious injunctions. They are profound professional principles.
Learning without integrity is dangerous.
Advocacy without restraint is destructive.
Ambition without ethics is hollow.
Victory without honour is defeat in disguise.
For the young lawyer, this should be an early lesson: do not make fame your first ambition; make trustworthiness your first achievement.
Your greatest professional asset will not ultimately be your chambers, your clients, your social-media following, your political connections or even your rank.
It will be your word.
As Marcus Aurelius counselled:
“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.”
The legal profession must therefore teach more than how to win. It must teach how to win without losing oneself.
As Chairman of the NBA Mentorship Committee, I consider mentorship a responsibility to transmit not merely knowledge, but ethos, the character, restraint and honour without which legal learning becomes incomplete.
Teach the young lawyer how to argue, but also when to be silent.
How to cross-examine without humiliating.
How to negotiate without deceiving.
How to challenge a judge without disrespecting the judiciary.
How to defend a difficult client without becoming indistinguishable from the client’s conduct.
How to use WhatsApp, social media and AI without surrendering confidentiality, judgment or professional responsibility.
For technology changes the instrument; it does not change the obligation.
And discipline?
Discipline is not the enemy of the Bar; indiscipline is.
A profession that cannot discipline itself eventually loses the moral authority to demand discipline from society. There must be no sacred cows, no matter how senior, wealthy, influential or connected.
The Qur’an reminds us:
“Do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just.”
— Qur’an 5:8
What a powerful instruction for advocacy: fight the case, but do not lose your character.
To every young lawyer, therefore:
Build a name that can survive scrutiny.
Never exchange your conscience for a brief.
Remember that a client may purchase your service, but never your integrity.
The finest test of character is not what you do when everyone is watching. It is what you refuse to do when nobody is.
And when, years from now, another young lawyer asks you how to build a great career, give them more than a strategy for success.
Give them a standard.
Know the law.
Honour the court.
Guard the confidence.
Keep your word.
Serve justice.
And never betray the Bar.
For in the final reckoning, a lawyer’s greatest victory is not that he defeated his opponent.
It is that, having stood at the Bar, he remained worthy of the Bar.
*Dr Ajulo, SAN, the Attorney General of Ondo State is also the Chiarman of NBA Mentorship Committee*
