In a judgment delivered on Friday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja declared Sections 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 30 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 unconstitutional, null, and void as they relate to legal practitioners.

The ruling was made in a suit filed by Abu Arome, a private legal practitioner, against the Central Bank of Nigeria, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Attorney General of the Federation, and Guarantee Trust Bank. Arome sought to bar the defendants from enforcing the provisions of the Money Laundering Act 2022 against legal practitioners.

Justice Egwuatu granted all the reliefs sought by the plaintiff, effectively shielding legal practitioners from the application of the contentious sections of the Money Laundering Act. The court also held that the restrictions placed on the bank accounts operated by Arome’s law firm, based on a circular issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, were unconstitutional, null, and void.

[Download the full judgment]

In his originating summons, Arome had sought the court’s interpretation of previous judgments by the Court of Appeal in similar cases. He argued that the aforementioned sections of the Money Laundering Act 2022, which purported to apply to legal practitioners, were in conflict with the Legal Practitioners Act, the Evidence Act, and the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, which safeguarded the confidentiality of lawyer-client relationships.

[Download the full judgment]

Furthermore, the plaintiff challenged the inclusion of legal practitioners and notaries in the definition of Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions under the Money Laundering Act, asserting that this inclusion undermined the fundamental doctrine of legal professional privilege and client confidentiality.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/JUDGMENT-ABU-AROME-V-CBN-TheNigeriaLawyer.pdf” title=”JUDGMENT ABU AROME V CBN TheNigeriaLawyer”]

______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com

_______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation _______________________________________________________________________ Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook The book also examines Nigeria's legal ecosystem, focusing on the LPELR and NBA AI Guidelines. As a bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE eBook titled: How to Use the AI Features in LegalPedia and LawPavilion. Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating: "....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic." How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626 Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACIarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. _______________________________________________________________________