Lawyers hijab controversy: Court to rule February 28

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed February 28 to rule on
a motion seeking to stop a public hearing of the House of
Representatives on why a law student was not called to bar.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that a law student, Firdaus
Abdulsalam, was not called to the Nigerian Bar on December 13 last
year for allegedly breaking the dress code.

When the matter came up on Tuesday, Sunday Akanni, counsel to
the applicants, told the court that his clients were seeking to
stop the public hearing on the grounds that it was
unconstitutional.

He said they were seeking the interpretation of the court with
regards to Sections 33 to 45 of the 1999 Constitution as well as
Section 88.

“We brought the House of Representatives to court because of the
public hearing they scheduled to hold on February 6.

“Our contention is very simple, the public hearing notice they
sent is in respect of a lady called Abdulsalam Firdrusa Amasa, who
was not called to the bar on December 13, 2017 because she was
wearing hijab.

“They say the public hearing is pursuant to Section 45 of the
Constitution but we are saying it has to do with violation of
rights and it is the court that can look into such matters.

“It is not for the House of Representatives to conduct a public
hearing into.

“What we brought to court is that we want the court to interpret
Section 46 and Section 88 because when you look at the
constitution, from Section 33 to Section 45 it says it is our
fundamental human rights.

“Section 46 clearly states, where if any aspect of that section
is violated, that person should go.

“And we are saying the House of Representatives cannot hold the
public hearing because there is a place where anybody whose right
is violated should go, it is not a public hearing, but the
court.”

Mr. Akanni further told journalists that all his clients were
lawyers under the aegis of Coalition of Lawyers for the
Preservation of Legal Practitioners’ Ethics.

According to him, in the legal profession, we have a mode of
dressing, so what our coalition does is to check that every lawyer
is properly dressed.

“If we see one of us who is not properly dressed, any member of
the coalition reports to the most senior lawyer around to caution
that person.

“If you do not want to dress as lawyers do, there are other
professions you can go to,” he said.

(NAN)

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed February 28 to rule on
a motion seeking to stop a public hearing of the House of
Representatives on why a law student was not called to
bar.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that a law student, Firdaus
Abdulsalam, was not called to the Nigerian Bar on December 13 last
year for allegedly breaking the dress code.

When the matter came up on Tuesday, Sunday Akanni, counsel to
the applicants, told the court that his clients were seeking to
stop the public hearing on the grounds that it was
unconstitutional.

He said they were seeking the interpretation of the court with
regards to Sections 33 to 45 of the 1999 Constitution as well as
Section 88.

“We brought the House of Representatives to court because of the
public hearing they scheduled to hold on February 6.

“Our contention is very simple, the public hearing notice they
sent is in respect of a lady called Abdulsalam Firdrusa Amasa, who
was not called to the bar on December 13, 2017 because she was
wearing hijab.

“They say the public hearing is pursuant to Section 45 of the
Constitution but we are saying it has to do with violation of
rights and it is the court that can look into such matters.

“It is not for the House of Representatives to conduct a public
hearing into.

“What we brought to court is that we want the court to interpret
Section 46 and Section 88 because when you look at the
constitution, from Section 33 to Section 45 it says it is our
fundamental human rights.

“Section 46 clearly states, where if any aspect of that section
is violated, that person should go.

“And we are saying the House of Representatives cannot hold the
public hearing because there is a place where anybody whose right
is violated should go, it is not a public hearing, but the
court.”

Mr. Akanni further told journalists that all his clients were
lawyers under the aegis of Coalition of Lawyers for the
Preservation of Legal Practitioners’ Ethics.

According to him, in the legal profession, we have a mode of
dressing, so what our coalition does is to check that every lawyer
is properly dressed.

“If we see one of us who is not properly dressed, any member of
the coalition reports to the most senior lawyer around to caution
that person.

“If you do not want to dress as lawyers do, there are other
professions you can go to,” he said.

(NAN)