The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, has told aggrieved Mr Afe Bablola, SAN, that it cannot stop rights activist, Dele Farotimi, from practising law in Nigeria.
Mr Babalola, a renowned lawyer, had in the 90-page petition dated December 6 and signed by a partner in the firm, Mr. Ola Faro, asked the LPDC to strike out the name of Farotimi from the roll of legal practitioners in the country.
He claimed that Farotimi criminally defamed him in a book, titled “Nigeria And Its Criminal Justice System.”
But the legal body held that it lacked the requisite jurisdiction to delve into issues relating to the allegation of criminal defamation and professional misconduct.
The LPDC, in its report marked B8B/LPDC/1571/2024, said all the offences that were listed by the petitioners occurred in Farotimi’s capacity as an author and not during his practice as a legal professional.
The LPDC said it was bereft of the jurisdiction to address complaints about publications, even as it enjoined the aggrieved parties to seek redress in regular courts.
“The publication is an intellectual property and not a conduct or action committed while practising as a legal practitioner.
“All aggrieved parties who find the publication ‘defamatory’ should ventilate their grievances through the regular courts,” the LPDC, which is led by Justice Ishaq Bello, added.
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