Lawyer Asks Court To Allow Them Dress In Shorts, Slippers To Court Over Persistent Flooding In Bayelsa [Video]

A Lawyer has appealed that the rules of courts be amended to enable him and his colleagues make appearances before the Court in shorts and rubber slippers due to the flood Bayelsa State is suffering from.

The lawyer in question was seen in a video received by this platform, navigating the flooded streets, with the lower part of his body submerged in the flood while cladded in his legal regalia.

However, upon rising from the waters, rather than black trousers and shoes at his feet, the lawyer was dressed in black shorts and rubber slippers.

Approaching the camera, the lawyer said thus: “Since this flood started, this is how we have been waving through this water everyday to go to court. So, my own appeal is that the rules be amended to enable us wear shorts and rubber slippers when we are appearing in court, because those of us in Bayelsa state are not finding it very easy at all.”

While this would seem as a worthy cry, Lawyer, J. Nwachukwu, Esq, opines that the best option would be to clamor for virtual hearing rather than shorts and rubber slippers, whereas TheNigerialawyer is of the opinion that it is a natural disaster.

The world was granted the opportunity to advance virtual hearing during the pandemic period, and it is quite unfortunate that in this times, with floods prevailing some Nigerian states, the Nigerian judiciary has not made provisions for virtual hearing for the time being, to enable lawyers facilitate their cases in remote locations without needing to prevail over flooded streets.

Furthermore, the argument that virtual hearing was just an innovative of the pandemic period which should not be called upon seeing that the pandemic is since becoming a forgotten plague, is highly absurd.

Virtual hearing is an innovation that the course should embrace and advance to cater for this time.

Therefore, with the prevalence of the flood, the Bar and Bench in the affected states should work towards facilitating virtual hearings for their own convenience