The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has explained its decision not to revoke the license of lawyer and author Dele Farotimi.
A petition from the law firm Emmanuel Chambers had called for Farotimi’s disbarment, claiming he had made defamatory statements against the Supreme Court and the legal profession in his book Nigeria and the Criminal Justice System.
The petition, filed by lawyer Ola Faro, accused Farotimi of distorting case facts and making damaging allegations about judicial officers and the legal community.
The complaint specifically mentioned Farotimi’s discussion of a Supreme Court judgment involving allegations of corruption and unethical practices within the judicial system.
Despite the seriousness of the claims, the LPDC, chaired by Justice Isaq Usman Bello, declared that the allegations were related to Farotimi’s actions as an author and not as a practicing lawyer.
The committee explained that it lacked jurisdiction to address issues related to publications made by legal professionals outside their official legal practice.
The LPDC advised that anyone offended by the book’s contents should take the matter to a regular court rather than seeking disciplinary action against Farotimi.
The committee’s report emphasized that the publication was intellectual property and not a violation of legal conduct during his professional practice.
In its final ruling, the LPDC made it clear that its role is to oversee professional conduct during the practice of law, not to rule on matters concerning publications and authorship.
