Honesty and integrity indispensable to legal profession— Nagaland Bar Association President 

DIMAPUR — Senior advocate and president of Nagaland Bar Association (NBA) Akito Zhimomi on Saturday reminded practitioners as well as students of the legal profession that honesty and integrity are indispensable to their trade.

Describing these qualities as “priceless”, the NBA president told them it is essential to conduct themselves in a manner that ensures their honesty and integrity are never called into question.

He was speaking as the special guest at the one-day ‘ECT training on eCourts programme on electronic case management tools and computer skills enhancement programme for advocates and advocate clerks of Nagaland’, held at City Law College, Dimapur. It was organised by Judicial Academy, Assam in collaboration with the Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court.

Reflecting on his early years of practising law, which began 33 years ago, Zhimo recalled things were very different back then—armed with a humble typewriter and nothing else.

Over the years, he observed that the tools of the trade have evolved significantly and nowadays they have access to computers and the internet, placing everything at their disposal with just a click of a button. 

The senior advocate further reminded that there is a distinct difference between being educated in law and having knowledge of the law, as one involves formal learning, while the other requires a deeper grasp of its principles.

Therefore, he encouraged the bench, the bar, and law students not only to pursue an education in law but also pursue knowledge of the law. Only then, he said, they can achieve success in the legal profession.

While discussing the essential attributes needed to pursue the knowledge of law, he stated that the first and foremost is proficiency in the English language—both in written and in spoken form. He added that using computers to find references might be helpful, but there is no substitute for actually reading law journals.

He explained that relying solely on computers is like merely reading about a place, whereas reading law journals, attending court sessions, and experiencing live arguments are like actually visiting that place.

Another important aspect to succeed in the legal profession is to have absolute dedication, he said and cautioned them against ever thinking that they have mastered the law “as the law is a continually evolving body of principles”.

Drawing from his own experience, Zhimo told the young lawyers and law students that if they apply themselves to the legal profession, they will succeed.

Delivering short speech, the Principal District & Sessions Judge, Dimapur, N Longshithung Ezung, said that both the bar and the bench belong to the judicial system and with the emerging developments in technology, the judicial system in the country has also moved towards adopting technology in the dispensation of justice.

He encouraged the participants to update themselves with the new tools of technology that will be shared by the resource persons during the training. 

Following the formal programme, technical sessions on computer skills enhancement – Level I and II ECT and Ecourts programme on electronic case management tools and ICT session were conducted by Chief Judicial Magistrate of Peren, Wonchibeni V Patton and Systems Officers of Morigaon, Assam, Mahbub Ali Ahmed.

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