It is with great delight that I extend my heartfelt felicitations to the leadership and members of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ondo Branch, on the occasion of your 2025 Law Week, themed “Dying Embers of Professional Ethics: Blunted Sword of the Gatekeepers.”
This carefully chosen theme is a sober call to self-examination for the legal profession. Professional ethics remain the soul of our noble calling; without them, we risk losing both the moral authority and the societal trust that empower us as the foremost gatekeepers of justice.
In an era where compromise tempts and expediency beckons, we must fan the embers of integrity, diligence, and courage until they burn bright again.
I commend the Ondo Branch for creating a platform to engage in this crucial discourse and for your commitment to the preservation of the values that make our profession honourable.
May the deliberations from this Law Week rekindle in us the flame of ethical conduct, sharpening our collective resolve to serve justice with unwavering fidelity.
I wish you fruitful discussions and enduring impact.
Professor Foluke Dada-Lawanson
Chair, Lawyers in Academia Forum
2nd Vice President, Nigerian Bar Association (2018-2020)
