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The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has turned down the request by Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), to revoke the law practising license of lawyer and author, Tomilola Farotimi, also known as Dele Farotimi.
Legit.ng reported that the Afe Babalola law firm, Emmanuel Chambers, earlier wrote to the LPDC to remove the name of Dele Farotimi from lawyers in Nigeria, over allegations of criminal defamation and professional misconduct.
Ola Faro, a partner in the law firm, who signed the petition, alleged that the embattled Farotimi violated several ethics of the profession in his book.
The petition alleged that Farotimi, in his book “Nigeria and Criminal Justice System”, made defamatory statements against the Supreme Court and the legal profession.
Why Dele Farotimi’s legal license cannot be revoked
However, in its report on Tuesday, December 24, the LPDC determined that the alleged offences occurred in Farotimi’s capacity as an author, not during his practice as a legal professional.
As reported by Channels TV, the LPDC chairman, Justice Isaq Usman Bello, concluded that the LPDC lacked jurisdiction to address complaints about publications and advised aggrieved parties to seek redress in regular courts.
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.”
Read about Farotimi vs Babalola here:
Dele Farotimi released from prison
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Dele Farotimi was released from an Ekiti prison after being remanded over alleged defamation.
Omoyele Sowore confirmed the news of his release on Tuesday in a terse statement shared on his social media page.
Dele Farotimi was imprisoned after being accused of defaming Afe Babalola, a renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the founder of Afe Babalola University in Ado Ekiti.
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