

DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL: JANUARY 14 BRINGING BACK INTEGRITY INTO LEGAL SYSTEM (1) SCRIPTURE: DEUT. 16: 18 – 20
If there should be anywhere integrity is expected to be observed at highest level, it should be in the legal system. Legal functions involve, amongst other things, implementation of equity justices. It takes high level integrity to mediate between parties with strong differences. The judges and the lawyers as well as other legal personnel supposed to be custodians of integrity. Legal integrity, by simple definition is thus defines as “The act of behaving honourably, even when no one is watching.” Legal integrity is built on principles of fairness, justice, and due process. Legal integrity requires the legal professionals to be honest, truthful, and straightforward in their interactions with clients, the public, opposing parties, and the court. This means also that the court has to deal with matters brought before her with absolute integrity.
The Almighty God knows that in the absence of legal institutions, mankind will deal with each in abysmal and arbitrary ways. The lead Biblical passage above captured God’s mindset for appointing judges and legal officers who will see to it that justices are handled properly among His people. God asked Moses to appoint judges and legal officers in all the tribes of Israel who “…shall judge the people with righteous judgment” (Deut. 16: 18 ESV). We can conclude here that it takes integrity for judges and court officials to judge people with righteous judgment. God went further to paraphrase how the judges and the legal officials should judge with integrity.
According to God, the judges and the officials in the court shall not distort justice; shall not be partial and shall not take bribes because bribes blind the eyes of the judges and pervert the words of the righteous (see Deut. 16: 19 New American Standard Bible). Looking into the legal system shows that it is saddled with handling cases which involve very important personalities, friends, relations and even associates. With this, legal institution has to be a place with core principles of integrity that include: independence, confidentiality, avoiding conflicts of interest, and maintaining professional integrity. These ingredients of legal integrity, though abused by some legal personnel ages past; can still be brought back into the legal system. This might not be completely, but maximally to appreciable level.
PRAYER:
Pray that Jehovah Father looks into our legal institutions and sieve them of evil seeds and revive legal integrity in our days in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
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