Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has called on lawyers to always pursue justice driven by conscience in ensuring a society of fairness and equity.

Mr Aiyedatiwa made the call at the grand finale of the 2026 Law Week organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Okitipupa Branch, on Wednesday in Akure.

The theme of the week was “Imperatives of Independence of the Judiciary in a Working Democracy: The Common Law Jurisdiction and Nigerian Experience.”

He urged the bar and bench to rise above the ordinary and serve as the last refuge of the common man and the first line of defence against arbitrariness.

According to the governor, law is a vocation of courage, a discipline of integrity and a covenant with justice itself, while demands on the justice system are as profound as they are urgent.

He added that the society yearned for a justice system which was not distant but accessible, not delayed but timely, not selective but impartial.

The governor stated, “The cry of the ordinary citizen is simple but powerful: let justice be real, let it be fair, and let it be felt. To practise law, therefore, is to stand at the intersection of logic and compassion, of reason and empathy.

“Let your advocacy be guided not only by brilliance but also by conscience. Let your success be measured not merely by victories in court but also by the justice you help to secure for society.

“As a government, Ondo State has continued to pursue reforms that strengthen our judicial institutions, deepen public trust and ensure that the temple of justice remains open to all, regardless of status or circumstance. We are investing in systems, in people, and in processes that will make justice not an abstraction but a lived reality.”

Also, a legal luminary, Wole Olanipekun, said the focus of engagement of every lawyer must be actualisation of justice.

Mr Olanipekun, the chairman of the occasion, said justice was a three-way traffic meted to the appellant, the respondent and society.

He said, “The undue pressure on the judiciary in the country is regretted. Political gladiators in the country should be blamed for their inability to pursue democratic tenets as they are enshrined in the constitution. No judiciary in the world is nearly as involved in sensitive and highly controversial electoral disputes as ours.

“Collectively, we all as legal professionals must reflect on this and continue to advocate for the law as it ought to be when it comes to electoral matters.

“Otherwise, we will wake up tomorrow only to find out that our profession has lost a substantial part or chunk of its respect, awe and aura, to put it mildly. We must tell politicians and indeed the nation that we do not encourage ‘judicialisation’ of our democracy.”

In his remarks, the NBA chairman, Okitipupa Branch, Omotola Odusola, said the theme for the law week was timely.

Ms Odusola said the judiciary must also stand out as the enduring conscience of the nation, firm, fearless and free from external influence.

She added that without an independent judiciary, justice would be fragile, rights uncertain and democracy vulnerable.

The nine personalities that received different awards at the occasion include: Aiyedatiwa, Olanipekun, Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, Ooni of Ile Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi.

Others are Remi Olatubora, SAN; Kingsley Kuku; Simeon Olumuyiwa; Seinde Fadeni; and Kayode Ajulo. 

(NAN)