Reps panel: Why bar exam results are withheld — Law School DG

The Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Professor Isa Chiroma, on Thursday, disclosed that examination malpractice remains a grave offence for anyone caught during the examination period.

Professor Chiroma made this known in Abuja during an investigative hearing into a motion concerning the alleged withholding of Bar results and the backlog of students awaiting Call to the Bar. The hearing was held at the instance of the House Committee on Justice, chaired by Hon. Olumide Osoba.

Professor Chiroma, who dismissed the petition regarding withheld results—initiated by hundreds of Law graduates who recently staged a peaceful protest at the entrance of the National Assembly Complex, Abuja—revealed that CCTV cameras have been installed in various examination halls at the Law School in Abuja.

While noting that it is the statutory responsibility of the Body of Benchers to determine those who are qualified for the Call to the Bar, Professor Chiroma maintained that those who fail the examinations cannot be called to the Bar.

The Law School head also presented some visual evidence, including footage of a female student who had written on her laps and other sensitive parts of her body.

Before leaving his seat, Professor Chiroma jokingly asked Hon. Osoba and other Committee members: “Chairman, I hope you’re not fasting today?”

Explaining the due process followed by the Law School to ensure transparency, he said:
“When someone is apprehended in the examination hall, there is a process. First and foremost, whether it’s called ‘copying’, or they came in with extraneous materials, or a telephone—these are strict liability offences. Whether you use the phone or not, once it is in the examination hall, it constitutes an offence.

“No one has disputed this. When such cases occur, they come before the Committee of Management. This committee is responsible for determining whether the person is guilty or not. The students are brought in and given the opportunity to defend themselves. Most of them say things like, ‘It’s the work of the devil, it won’t happen again’; ‘Forgive us, it was a mistake’; ‘I didn’t know this’. That’s what usually happens. So, it’s not in dispute. You cannot allege examination malpractice without supporting evidence.”

He further stated:
“What I want to clarify is that the Law School, like every organised institution, operates according to a calendar. At the beginning of each session, we advertise for admissions. There are set timelines for admissions, lectures, the internship programme, mock trials, examination timetables, processing of results, and when results are to be released. Each body involved plays its specific role.

“For example, when it comes to examinations, once the scripts are marked, the results go to the Board of Examiners, which submits its findings to the Board of Studies. From there, they are forwarded to the Committee of Council, which reviews and either ratifies or makes necessary decisions.

“Once the Council approves the results, they are released on our portal that same day. That is how the system operates. Therefore, the notion of ‘withholding’ results does not arise. If a result is withheld, it is typically due to a case of examination malpractice.”

Responding to the House resolution on the Call to the Bar, he clarified that the Call to the Bar is not an activity of the Council concerning the Law School, but rather the responsibility of the Body of Benchers by regulation. He further noted:
“As I have said, every system has its calendar. The Body of Benchers decided long ago that the Call to the Bar will take place in July and November. Accordingly, those who pass the examinations will be called to the Bar from the 8th to the 10th of July this year, while the backlog will be addressed from the 18th to the 20th of November. That is how the process works.”

In response to the presentation, Hon. Osoba expressed the Committee’s satisfaction with the installation of CCTV in the Law School, Abuja, and emphasised the need for additional budgetary provisions to extend CCTV coverage to other campuses of the Law School nationwide.

He also commended the Law School management for providing pictorial evidence of individuals involved in examination malpractice, which was presented to the Committee.

However, he noted that the Committee would conduct oversight visits to all Law School campuses across the country in the coming weeks to obtain firsthand knowledge of the existing infrastructure.

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