LPDC Disbarrs Seven Lawyers, Suspends 12

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) on Tuesday
disclosed that it has between January and November this year
disbarred seven legal practitioners and suspended 12 others over
various acts of professional misconduct.

Life Bencher and Chairman, Body of Benchers, Alhaji Bashir
Dalhatu, who made the disclosure, warned that professionalism is
the hallmark and life of the legal profession, hence lawyers must
at all times maintain the highest level in the discharge of their
duties.

Dalhatu, who was speaking at the Call to Bar ceremony of the
August/September graduands of the Nigerian Law School, warned the
new lawyers to always be guided by professionalism and ethics of
the profession so as not to suffer similar fate.

“The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) is a
committee of the Body of Benchers which is responsible for
considering and determining allegations of misconduct against any
person whose name is on the toll in his capacity as a legal
practitioner and is capable of bringing our noble profession into
disrepute.

“Therefore, the committee will discipline erring lawyers whose
conduct negate the sacrosanct standards of the profession or amount
to infamous conduct in a professional respect.

“From January to November 2018, seven lawyers were disbarred, 12
lawyers were suspended (ranging from one year to three years) and
one lawyer was admonished.

“You are therefore advised to be of good behaviour and abide by
the ethics and traditions of the profession to avoid being brought
before the Committee,” he added.

Dalhatu advised the new lawyers to apply wisdom and have the
courage to refuse to act for a client when the client’s
instructions would cause them to violate the rules of professional
conduct.

He said as young lawyers, they must imbibe discipline and shun
the get-rich-quick syndrome, adding that they should not be in a
hurry to venture out on their own until they have garnered relevant
experiences from senior lawyers.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa
Chiroma (SAN), enjoined the young lawyers to make the best of the
legal profession and adhere strictly to its norms and ethics if
they must excel.
The 4,779 new lawyers were among the 5,846 candidates who were
successful in the August/September 2018 Bar final examinations.

Giving a breakdown of the general performance at the exams,
Chiroma noted that 161 (2.75%) candidates came out with first
class; 694 (11.87%) Second Class Upper; 1,275(21.27%) Second Class
Lower and 2,649 Third Class (45.3%).

Chiroma noted that out of the 161 First Class graduands, 113
were females while the remaining 48 were males.

“The general performance, which is unprecedented, justifies the
huge investment and sacrifice made by all concerned,” Chiroma said,
promising to sustain and surpass the attained record.

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