Pilot Law

Day I made judge reverse order

 

Adeola Omotunde bagged his first degree in law from the University of Ilorin, Kwara state in 1999, he was called to the Nigerian bar in 2001. He obtained his LL.M certificate from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University in 2003. He’s currently undergoing his Ph.D programme. He began his tutelage attachment with Chief Wole Olanipekun in 2001, he left him after six years to establish his own law firm, Adeola Omotunde & Co in 2007. He however shares with KAYODE ADEOTI, an experience he can’t forget. Excepts:

There are so many eventful and daunting moments encountered since I’ve been practising law, but the one that happened recently at the High Court of Ekiti State, court 1 to be precise, was mind blowing considering the drama that surrounded it.
I appeared before my Lord, the Chief Judge of Ekiti State. There was an application for appeal brought against my client. Normally one don’t oppose application for leave to appeal and I didn’t truly intentionally wanted to do so but when I looked at the application, it was very defective, in fact, I felt, it ought not to have been filed. Before the proceedings, I’ve called the counsel, who happened to be the DPP of the state to withdraw the application and file it properly. But he believed I cannot advice him because we are both lawyers.
Then, I told My Lord that I will oppose the matter brought him, before he exclaimed saying, you can’t, stating that the man has constitutional right to appeal. I told my lord that I agree that everyone has the right to do so but right to appeal is subject to law.
My lord further got annoyed and said, ‘whether you like it or not, I’m granting this application. I responded by saying, ‘My Lord is paid to grant application and I’m paid to make applications. Whether I’m right or wrong, is for My Lord to decide’.
I told him that I was just served that he should give me an adjournment date. He declined but later obliged after been told that I needed least 48hours to reply the application. He also said, “I will grant you the adjournment but when you come back and you have no good ground for opposing the application, I’m going to award heavy cost against you,”. He repeated his position, whether you like it or not, I’m granting this application…
When we came back on the adjournment day, My lord repeated his position then I welcomed it even as I asked him to read, ground one and two of the application. Afterwards, I said the grounds were not competent.
Surprisingly, he found the grounds defective and wished he had seen them earlier. Then he struck the application out. He however called the DPP and asked him if his grounds were competent…
That day, I was so happy with the Judge because after seeing the fact, he reversed his order, that is the attribute of a good judge.

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