Nigerian lawyer Gadzama gets court leave to challenge three-year suspension

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joe-Kyari Gadzama, has obtained leave from the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge his three-year suspension from legal practice. The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) handed down the suspension on July 29, citing professional misconduct.

The court's order, granted by Judge Obiora Egwuatu on August 20, allows Gadzama to seek judicial review and an order to quash the LPDC's decision. The case stems from a long-running dispute over compensation for victims and survivors of a 2001 military operation in Zaki-Biam, Benue State. The LPDC also suspended another lawyer, Ocha Ulegede, for two years in connection with the same matter.

Gadzama's primary argument is the absence of an effective statutory appeal mechanism against the LPDC's ruling. His legal team cited a recent Supreme Court decision and a letter from the Body of Benchers confirming that no appeal committee currently exists with appellate jurisdiction. They contend that enforcing the LPDC's decision without an available appeal process raises constitutional issues regarding fair hearing and due process.