The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has turned down the request by Chief Afe Babalola SAN’s law firm, Emmanuel Chambers, to revoke the law practising license of lawyer and Activist, Tomilola Farotimi, popularly known as Dele Farotimi, over allegations of criminal defamation and professional misconduct.
Farotimi was brought before the LPDC based on a petition written against Him by Ola Faro, a lawyer in Emmanuel Chambers.
The petition alleged that Farotimi, in his book “Nigeria and Criminal Justice System”, made defamatory statements against the Supreme Court and the legal profession.
But, in its report, the LPDC determined that the alleged offences occurred in Farotimi’s capacity as an author, not during his practice as a legal professional.
The LPDC in its conclusion on the matter said that it lacked jurisdiction to address complaints about publications and advised aggrieved parties to seek redress in regular courts.
The LPDC Chairman, Justice Isaq Usman Bello, emphasised that the petition could not be granted due to jurisdictional limitations.
The book reportedly referenced suit number SC/146/2006 between Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu and HRH Oba Tijani Akinloye and others, claiming corruption, bribery, and other unethical practices involving judicial officers and the legal community.
The petition from Emmanuel Chambers accused Farotimi of distorting the facts of the case, disrespecting his fellow attorneys, and engaging in obstruction of justice for personal gain. Specific complaints include references to a Supreme Court ruling that affected several residential areas and legal proceedings that subsequently undermined the Supreme Court decision. The chamber claimed that Farotimi’s book violated several provisions of the Code of Professional Conduct for Lawyers 2023 and demanded that his name be stricken from the roster of lawyers.
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.”