FROM PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE: A NORMATIVE RECONSTRUCTION OF LEGAL ETHICS IN AFRICA

Abstract

The decline of ethical standards within the legal profession in Africa has generated increasing concern regarding the effectiveness of existing regulatory frameworks. While such frameworks emphasise compliance and disciplinary control, they have proven insufficient in addressing systemic challenges, including corruption, weak institutional accountability and limited access to justice. Against this backdrop, this article examines the evolving role of legal ethics in Africa and interrogates the adequacy of rule-based approaches to professional responsibility. The article aims to develop a normative framework for re-conceptualising legal ethics beyond traditional professional conduct towards a broader, justice-oriented paradigm. Drawing on jurisprudential theories including legal positivism and other contemporary justice theories, the article argues that legal ethics must be repositioned as a transformative tool for advancing human rights, strengthening governance, and promoting social justice. The paper recommends that a paradigm shift in the training curriculum of lawyers, the use of Clinical Legal Education (CLE) through law clinics, and effective mentorship and role modelling are veritable tools for the re-conceptualisation of legal ethics in Africa.