|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, asked the House of Representatives to put on hold its intention to conduct a public hearing on the Hijab controversy which blew open when a Nigerian Law School graduate, Firdrusa Abdulsalam, during the last call to bar ceremony in Abuja last year, wore Hijab to the occasion, rather than robes and gowns associated with lawyers.
When the matter came up yesterday, the presiding Judge Justice Chikere, urged the House of Representatives to put on hold the planned public hearing on the matter.
She made the order, while delivering ruling on an application filed by a coalition of lawyers seeking to stop the public hearing. She ordered that the House should hold on pending the determination of the suit brought by the coalition of lawyers.
She held that the plaintiffs, who are legal practitioners, had a right to bring the action since the decision of the House of Representatives would affect them.
Abdulsalam, a law graduate, stirred controversy on Dec. 13, 2017, when she wore a Hijab to the call to bar ceremony. But she was refused entry into the ceremony and therefore lost her call to the Nigerian Bar.
The issue attracted the attention of the House of Representatives, which resolved to conduct a public hearing on the matter.
However, in a disapproval of the planning public hearing, the lawyers, under the aegis, Coalition of Lawyers for the Preservation of Legal Practitioners’ Ethics, went to court to stop the hearing,
arguing it was against some sections of the Constitution of the country.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, counsel to the plaintiffs, Sunday Akanni, told the court that the lawyers were seeking the interpretation of the court in regards to Sections 33 to 45 of the 1999 Constitution as well as Section 88.
“We brought the House of Representatives to court because of the public hearing they scheduled to hold Feb. 6.
“Our contention is very simple, the public hearing notice they sent is in respect of a lady called Abdulsalam Firdrusa who was not called to the bar on Dec. 13, 2017 because she was wearing hijab.
“They say the public hearing is pursuant to Section 45 of the Constitution but we are saying it has to do with violation of rights and it is the court that can look into such matters.
“It is not for the House of Representatives to conduct a public hearing. Section 88 and 89 gives power to the house of representatives to conduct public hearing but Section 33 to 45 is what we call fundamental rights.
He argued that if breach of rights occurred the court is the proper place to go to rather than conduct public hearing by the House of Representatives .
Justice Chikere subsequently adjourned the matter till April 24, for hearing of the substantive suit.
Felix Omohomhion, Abuja
