By Ebere Agozie
The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has restored the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria to Mr Beluolisa Nwofor, which was earlier withdrawn from him.
This was conveyed in a notification dated September 10, and titled; “Notification of Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria”, and marked LPPC/CJN/CH/M143/REIN/2021.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of LPPC, Justice Tanko Muhammad signed the notification letter on Sunday.
“This is to formally notify you that the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, at its general meeting, held on Tuesday, the 7th day of September, 2021, considered your application for the restoration of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on you, which was earlier withdrawn.
“After deliberations, the Committee upon being satisfied that conditions for restoration have been met and in the exercise of the powers vested on it by the provisions of Paragraph 27 of the 2018 Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and All Matters Pertaining to the rank, resolved to restore the use of the rank in your favour with immediate effect.
“Sequel to the foregoing, the Committee has further directed that you be informed that any future act or conduct on your part that runs foul of the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct of Legal Practitioners may attract a stiffer sanction against you”.
The Committee had at its 126th general meeting of the LPPC stripped him of the rank following a petition to the committee by the former Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal.
He was accused of being “rude” to the panel of Court of Appeal justices when he appeared before them on November 16, 2016 in Appeal No. CA/A/551c/M/2016 between Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) and Prince Ebiyi Poroye and 10 others in connection with the 2016 Ondo State Governorship Election.