The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has dismissed a petition from Emmanuel Chambers, a law firm led by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), seeking to disbar lawyer and human rights advocate Dele Farotimi. The petition accused Farotimi of criminal defamation and professional misconduct linked to his book, Nigeria and the Criminal Justice System.
The petition, filed by lawyer Ola Faro, claimed that Farotimi’s book defamed the Supreme Court and the legal profession. It cited references to case SC/146/2006 between Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu and HRH Oba Tijani Akinloye, accusing judicial officers of corruption and unethical practices. The petition further alleged that Farotimi distorted case facts, disrespected fellow lawyers, and obstructed justice for personal gain.
Emmanuel Chambers argued that Farotimi’s book violated the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023, calling for his name to be struck off the Roll of Legal Practitioners.
The LPDC Chairman, Justice Isaq Usman Bello, announced on Tuesday in Abuja that the petition was beyond the committee’s jurisdiction. The disciplinary panel concluded that the alleged misconduct occurred in Farotimi’s capacity as an author, not as a practising lawyer.
In its report (B8B/LPDC/1571/2024), the committee stated:
“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 recommended that those offended by the content of Farotimi’s book pursue their grievances in court, noting that the matter was unrelated to professional legal practice.
