By Our Legal Affairs Snooper
There’s drama in the dusty corridors of Lagos justice — and it stars a suspended lawyer, a courtroom twist, and one very eyebrow-raising judgment.Disgraced solicitor Idris Thany, who was slapped with a stinging two-year suspension by the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) last month over alleged shady dealings in a land dispute, has just pulled off what some are calling a legal miracle.
Despite the LPDC’s bombshell ruling on September 15, ordering him to pack up his wig and gown till 2027, Thany strutted into court like nothing ever happened — and now, a High Court judge has said he can carry on practising!
That’s right. Justice Iyabo Akinkugbe, sitting at the Lagos High Court in Ikorodu, declared that the ban is basically on hold because Thany has appealed to the Supreme Court — and under Section 12(8) of the Legal Practitioners Act, an appeal means an automatic stay of suspension.
So for now?
Thany walks free, robe and all. Legal Circles Buzzing Predictably, the judgment has set tongues wagging in the legal community, with some lawyers fuming and others quietly nodding — either in admiration or horror.
A senior lawyer, who asked not to be named (but was sipping Moët at a bar in Lekki), scoffed: “It’s the legal equivalent of saying, ‘Yes, I’ve been banned from driving, but I filed an appeal, so I’ll keep doing Uber until the Supreme Court says otherwise.’ It’s mad, but technically allowed.”
Another lawyer told us with a smirk: “If I knew all it took to dodge a suspension was an appeal, I’d have started filing one every time I got a bad parking ticket.”
Meanwhile, an outspoken Abuja-based human rights barrister said the ruling is “a dangerous precedent” that could embolden rogue lawyers.
“The message seems to be: misbehave, get caught, then stall it in court. The LPDC is being neutered.” But others defended the decision, saying due process must be respected, and Thany remains innocent until the final gavel drops at the Supreme Court.
The Backstory — A Family Affair?
Let’s not forget what landed Thany in hot water in the first place. Sources say he got tangled up in a murky land grab dispute in Ikorodu involving dodgy documents and disputed ownership. Things got so messy, his own sister — lawyer Khadijah Abolanle Thany was dragged into the scandal too. She was let off with a slap on the wrist after claiming she was misled by her big bro.
Sounds like a legal soap opera? It’s better than Netflix. What Happens Now?
Thany has filed 12 grounds of appeal, accusing the LPDC of everything from denying him a fair hearing to relying on “unsworn, false evidence.” So until the Supreme Court rules, the suspension’s on ice, and Thany is free to keep collecting clients and courtroom wins.
Whether justice was served — or just outsmarted — is something we’ll all be watching closely.
In the meantime, someone get Idris a fresh wig. He’s not going anywhere.-
