Rule 4 LPDC Rules 2020

Rule 4 of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) Rules 2020 is about Submission of Originating Application. It provides as follows:

(1) An Originating Application by any person against a legal practitioner shall be forwarded in writing by the applicant or the person aggrieved to any ofthe following persons, that is

(a) the Chief Justice of Nigeria:
(b) the Attorney-General of the Federation;
(c) the President of the Court of Appeal or any Presiding Justice of the
Court of Appeal;

(d) the Chairman, Body of Benchers:
(e) the President of the Nigerian Bar Association or the Chairman of a branch of the Nigerian Bar Association; and

(f) the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.

(2) An Originating Application received by any of the persons specified in sub-rule (1) of this rule other than sub-rule (1)(f) shall be forwarded within 30 days thereafter to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee which shall cause the Originating Application to be considered in the manner hereinafter provided.

(3) An Application to which this Rule applies must be sent to the named offices and shall be in accordance with forms provided for in these Rules with such variations as circumstances may require.

(4) The Originating Application must be supported by a statement of the allegation or complaint of misconduct, an Affidavit of facts setting out the
allegations, the facts and matters supporting the Originating Application and
each allegation contained within it and exhibiting the documents relied upon
by the applicant.

(5) In the case of an Originating Application made by the Association, the Originating Application must be accompanied by-
(a) sufficient copies of the Originating Application and supporting documents to enable the Committee to retain six complete sets and to serve one complete set on each respondent

(b) a time estimate for the substantive hearing; and
(c) a schedule of the Association’s costs incurred up to and including the date on which the Originating Application is made.

(6) In the case of a lay Application, the Application must be accompanied by three copies of the Originating Application and supporting documents and
one further copy for each of the respondent.

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