The Lagos State Ministry of Justice has organised a moot court competition for the state counsel at the Treasury Resource Centre, Debt Management Office, Alausa, Ikeja.
The mock court, presided over by a judge, was to help the defence and prosecuting counsel of the Ministry of Justice to hone their budding advocacy skills.
According to a statement issued by the state government, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo, (SAN), said the session was to expose the participants to the expertise of colleagues from different fields.
“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.
“It gladdens my heart that I’ll be witnessing the next Fawehinmis today and I wish all participants the best today as we proceed,” Onigbanjo said.
The commissioner then urged participants to ensure they always present their strongest point first in court, as this would prove to the judge that they know what they were doing.
In her remarks, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ms Titilayo Shitta-bey, stated that it was common to find lawyers not fully prepared before coming to court, stressing that 90 per cent 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 per cent prepared, at least before appearing in court,” she added.
