‘Go to court,’ LPDC tells Afe Babalola as it rejected request to debar Farotimi
Dele Farotimi and Afe Babalola.
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has asked legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola’s law firm, Emmanuel Chambers to seek redress for the alleged blasphemous statement contained in a book by Lagos lawyer, Dele Farotimi in court.
The LPDC said this while rejecting a petition from by a lawyer from Emmanuel Chambers, Mr. Ola Faro, asking it to withdraw the practicing license of Dele Farotimi also known as Tomilola Farotimi, over allegations of criminal defamation and professional misconduct.
Emmanuel Chambers had claimed in the petition that Farotimi, in his book ‘Nigeria and the Criminal Justice System’ made defamatory assertion against the Supreme Court and the legal profession, and should therefore be disbarred.
According to the petition, Farotimi had while discussing the outcome of a 2006 suit between Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu and HRH Oba Tijani Akinloye and others in the book accused judicial officials of corruption, bribery, and other unethical practices
Emmanuel Chambers had also in the petition accused Farotimi of distorting case facts, disrespecting fellow lawyers, and engaging in actions that obstructed justice for personal gain. .
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The Chambers told LPDC in the petition that Farotimi violated several sections of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023 by the assertions he made in the book and his name should therefore be struck off the Roll of Legal Practitioners.
But while rejecting the petition, LPDC, through its Chairman, Justice Isaq Usman Bello, said it could not delve into issues complained of by Emmanuel Chambers because they were beyond its assigned jurisdiction.
The LPDC affirmed that it lacked jurisdiction to address complaints about the assertions in the book.
It therefore advised aggrieved parties to seek redress in regular courts.
The LPDC’s report stated: “The publication is an intellectual property and not a conduct or action committed while practicing as a Legal Practitioner. All aggrieved parties who find the publication ‘defamatory’ should ventilate their grievances through the regular courts.”
