Public commentator and legal practitioner, Justice Osai Ahiakwo, has warned that the growing misuse of social media by lawyers endangers professional ethics and public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system.
Speaking with DAILY POST, Ahiakwo said the digital revolution has produced a new breed of online lawyers whose activities often blur the line between legal education and partisan advocacy. While social media helps to enlighten the public, he noted, it has also become a tool for self-promotion and political manipulation.
He explained that many lawyers, especially those in politics, now use digital platforms to influence public opinion on judicial matters — a trend that violates the Rules of Professional Conduct RPC and undermines the dignity of the legal profession.
Before social media, he said, publicity among lawyers was limited to traditional media and largely contained.
“Now, lawyers dominate X, Facebook, and YouTube, discussing court rulings and political disputes more for popularity than professionalism,” he observed.
Ahiakwo described this development as both “innovative and dangerous,” stressing that the “social media lawyer” represents a mix of enlightenment and ethical decay. Quoting Lord Atkin, he warned that freedom of expression must not degenerate into acts that compromise justice.
He noted that the new RPC, effective from 2024, bars lawyers from solicitation and prejudicial commentary on pending cases, yet these rules are violated daily.
“As Justice Oputa once said, when moral rectitude collapses, the temple of justice trembles,” he reminded.
Ahiakwo condemned the rise of lawyer-politicians who weaponize social media to manipulate public opinion or discredit judges.
“Such conduct is unethical and contrary to the lawyer’s oath,” he stated, citing Okike v. LPDC (2005), which classifies acts that bring the profession into disrepute as misconduct.
He urged the Nigerian Bar Association NBA to set clear digital guidelines, promote responsible communication, and strengthen disciplinary measures against online misconduct.
Ahiakwo added that while social media can advance public enlightenment, it must not become a platform for vanity or bias.
“The future of the legal profession depends not on how loud a lawyer speaks online but on how ethically he defends justice,” he said.
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