Lautoka Lawyer can now practice again

Lautoka Lawyer, Iqbal Khan who was suspended from practicing for 15 months in December last year will now be able to practice again.

This is after the Fiji Court of Appeal Judges lifted his suspension with immediate effect.

Khan was found guilty of two counts of professional misconduct by the Independent Legal Services Commission last year.

The Appeals Court Judges, Justice Suresh Chandra, Justice Almeida Guneratne and Justice Kamal Kumar also acquitted Khan of two counts where he allegedly appeared on national television in January 2009 and made allegations against police officers who were about to become respondents in a writ he was filing in court.

It is also alleged that Khan failed to conduct himself in a professional manner when he openly talked about a High court proceeding on national television.

However, the Appeals Court Judges affirmed the order of the Independent Legal Services Commission who found Khan guilty of second count of professional misconduct.

It is alleged that in 2008 Khan received $500 from a client and failed to disclose to him that he was also acting for the co-accused who had conflicting defenses in the criminal matter.

The Appeals Court Judges said that they considered the oral and the written submissions.

Khan had lamented that he had not been afforded an opportunity to plead in mitigation of the sentence imposed on him.

The Appeals Court Judges said that they see some procedural lapse on part of the Commissioner in that regard.