Supreme Court to Hear Appeal from Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee

The Supreme Court of Nigeria will hear an appeal concerning the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee's (LPDC) ruling against an appellant, Mr. Arisa Chiekweiro.

The LPDC found him guilty of professional misconduct related to a complaint involving a failed property purchase in Festac Town, Lagos State, amounting to N8 million, with a refund of N1 million. The LPDC's decision included striking Chiekweiro's name off the roll of legal practitioners and ordering him to repay N7 million within six months.

Chiekweiro's appeal raises ten grounds, including whether the LPDC breached his right to a fair hearing and whether it had jurisdiction to entertain the complaint. The Supreme Court noted that it has the authority to raise jurisdictional issues on its own and emphasized that any appeal must comply strictly with statutory provisions.

The court found the notice of appeal incompetent due to defects, leaving it with the option to strike the appeal.