By Daniel Obaje
A retired decide, Justice Amina Augie, has cautioned attorneys in opposition to relying overly on Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly for authorized citations.
Augie gave this recommendation in her keynote tackle on the fortieth anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Law School (NLS) class of ‘86 on Saturday in Abuja.
The keynote was titled “The Rule of Law and Justice Delivery: The Last 40 Years, Today and Tomorrow — Whither Nigeria?”
Augie urged lawyers to verify information generated by AI before using it in legal proceedings.
“A machine can predict the next word, it cannot read life.”
She said technology could not replace human judgment and professional responsibility.
She implored legal practitioners to uphold the rule of law to ensure justice and strengthen public confidence in the country’s justice system.
Augie described the rule of regulation as a promise that have to be stored to make sure justice, stressing that public confidence within the justice system trusted its constant observance.
She mentioned the rule of regulation protected residents, inspired funding and made the long run extra predictable, stressing its significance to justice and nationwide improvement.
“The rule of law is a promise; justice will be released whenever the promise is kept.
“Where the law is reliable, the poor are protected from the strong,” she mentioned.
Augie recognized delays and the excessive price of justice as main challenges, noting that entry to justice grew to become tough when circumstances took too lengthy.
She urged attorneys to uphold ethics and integrity, saying their accountability prolonged past the courtroom to defending the general public curiosity and democratic establishments.
Also talking, Ballason Mabeiam, Chief Executive Officer of House of Justice, harassed the necessity for judicial independence and sufficient funding for the judiciary to strengthen the rule of regulation.
Mabeiam mentioned funding for the judiciary, together with the supply of official residences for judicial officers, ought to be included within the judiciary’s funds quite than left to the chief.
She additionally referred to as for readability within the function of the Attorney-General, stressing that the workplace should prioritise the general public curiosity and the rule of regulation quite than serve government pursuits.
According to her, the justice system should stay dedicated to defending residents’ rights and guaranteeing equity, including that justice ought to be the guideline in resolving conflicts and upholding the regulation.
In his welcome tackle, Mr Marcellous Oru, SAN, chairman of the NLS Class of ’86, described 40 years as a major milestone within the lifetime of any group or organisation.
He mentioned members resolved at their final Annual General Meeting in Enugu on Aug. 26, 2025, to rejoice 4 many years of shared historical past, resilience and development.
“40 years is a remarkably significant milestone in the life of a group, class, person, nation or organisation,” he mentioned.
Oru recalled that the category graduated from the NLS in Victoria Island, Lagos, with goals and aspirations they hoped to meet.
He mentioned the category remained dedicated to supporting the NLS, which he described as its main constituency.
Oru mentioned the category had constructed 4 Harvard-standard moot courts on the NLS headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, to assist college students’ studying.
He added that the category donated a brand new Toyota Hiace bus to facilitate motion and established an award for the perfect pupil in skilled ethics.
In his remarks, Mr Mohammed Bello, SAN, chairman of the organising committee, mentioned the category had produced professionals who served Nigeria throughout completely different fields.
He listed justices, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, professors, attorneys-general, everlasting secretaries, navy generals, administrators and different public servants amongst its members.
Bello mentioned the anniversary was additionally a possibility to recollect classmates who had died in the course of the 40-year journey.
He urged members to assist each other quite than compete, saying they need to rejoice each other’s successes and stand collectively throughout tough instances.(NAN)
Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo
