The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has declined a petition from Chief Afe Babalola’s law firm, Emmanuel Chambers, seeking the disbarment of lawyer and author Dele Farotimi over allegations of criminal defamation and professional misconduct.
The petition, submitted by Mr. Ola Faro of Emmanuel Chambers, accused Farotimi of making defamatory statements against the Supreme Court and the legal profession in his book Nigeria and the Criminal Justice System. The firm contended that these statements violated several sections of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023 and requested that Farotimi’s name be struck off the Roll of Legal Practitioners.
However, during a session in Abuja, LPDC Chairman Justice Isaq Usman Bello stated that the committee lacked jurisdiction over the matter, as the alleged offenses occurred in Farotimi’s capacity as an author, not during his practice as a legal professional. The LPDC advised aggrieved parties to seek redress through regular courts, noting that the publication is an intellectual property issue rather than a professional conduct matter.
This decision follows legal actions initiated by Afe Babalola against Farotimi, including police petitions alleging defamation through the book. Farotimi has faced arraignment and detention but maintains that his writings are truthful.
The LPDC’s ruling underscores the distinction between personal expressions in published works and professional conduct within legal practice, emphasizing that grievances related to publications should be addressed in civil courts rather than through professional disciplinary channels.
