By Stephen Simon
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has declared unconstitutional the enforcement of the three-year suspension imposed on Chief J-K Gadzama, SAN, by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).
The court, in a judgment delivered on Monday, held that implementation of the LPDC Direction of July 29, 2026, against Gadzama, in the absence of an effective appellate mechanism, was inconsistent with Sections 36(1), 36(2) and 6(6)(b) of the 1999 Constitution and therefore unlawful. The court also held that the LPDC lacked jurisdiction in the matter.
Consequently, the court restrained the Body of Benchers, the LPDC, the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Chris Alashi from implementing, publishing, transmitting or otherwise giving effect to the disciplinary Direction against Gadzama. It also barred the Chief Registrar from making any disciplinary notation against him pursuant to the Direction or treating it as a final disciplinary determination.
The judgment followed Gadzama’s challenge to the LPDC decision, which had directed his suspension after a complaint by Chris Alashi in a dispute involving legal representation and professional fees arising from the Zaki-Biam litigation. Gadzama had maintained that he never had a professional relationship with Alashi or received instructions from him, arguing that he was separately instructed by some of the judgment creditors.
The LPDC had, on July 29, directed that Gadzama be suspended from legal practice for three years, while Chief Ocha P. Ulegede was separately suspended for two years. Gadzama subsequently approached the Federal High Court after earlier obtaining leave to seek judicial review and an order of certiorari challenging the disciplinary Direction.
The judgment has brought renewed attention to the constitutional safeguards surrounding professional disciplinary proceedings and the availability of an effective appellate mechanism for lawyers facing disciplinary sanctions. The court’s orders, according to reports on the judgment, restrain enforcement of the LPDC Direction against Gadzama pending the availability of an effective mechanism through which such disciplinary decisions can be challenged.
