Kunle Awosiyan
In a bid to achieve the objective of cross-fertilisation of ideas amongst counsel, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice has recently organised a moot court competition for the state counsel at the Treasury Resource Centre, Debt Management Office, Alausa, Ikeja.
The one-day mock court proceedings had state counsel of the Ministry of Justice, prosecuting and defending cases towards honing their budding advocacy skills. The proceedings were presided over by a Judge.
Through serious civil-related cases scenario created by the organisers, the moot court session provided an opportunity to promote and encourage enhanced dialogue and practical understanding amongst the various components of the justice system process.
In his address, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, noted that a moot court session is very informative because it gives first-hand experience of court sessions to the participants by drawing expertise of colleagues from different fields and by strengthening the relationship between state counsel and the court.
“Mooting is an excellent skill that is capable of assisting law officers to think and analyse in the style of an advocate, looking for loose threads, analysing legal logic and presenting conclusions accurately and effectively”, he said.
“It gladdens my heart that I’ll be witnessing the next Fawehinmi’s today and I wish all participants the best today as we proceed”, he enthused.
The Commissioner advised participants that knowledge of the law is the foundation of confidence, saying “You must know the law”.
He noted that while presenting cases in court, it is of utmost importance that a counsel presents his or her strongest point first, as this will prove to the judge that the counsel knows what he or she is doing.
Onigbanjo also urged the state counsel to be audible when speaking to arrest the attention of the judge and the court.
The Attorney-General later congratulated the winners and other participants of the competition, noting that advocacy requires preparation and unshakable confidence, as this will prove to the judge and court that the counsel knows what he or she is trying to achieve.
In her remarks, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ms. Titilayo Shitta-bey, stated that it is not uncommon to not be fully prepared before coming to the court, stressing that 90% of case preparation happens in the chambers.
“I understand that some of us have so many cases to deal with daily, but it is imperative for us to always make time to be 70% prepared at least before appearing in court”, she added.
The participants expressed the unique opportunity the moot court presented in “creating the interface involving the judge, defense counsel, prosecutors and investigators.
Equally, the session encouraged the exchange and development of constructive ideas and suggestions for addressing some of the key practical challenges relating to civil matters.
