The High Court in Suva has dismissed an appeal by lawyer Shazran Lateef regarding the suspension of his practising certificate. Mr. Lateef had pursued legal action against the Registrar, seeking various orders, including the reversal of the decision that resulted in the cancellation of his practising certificate.
Mr. Lateef, who heads Lateef and Lateef Lawyers, initially received his practising certificate from the Legal Practitioners Unit, which was valid from February 4, 2019, until February 29, 2020. However, the Registrar cancelled the certificate on April 2, 2019, while Mr. Lateef was in custody on criminal charges.
In January 2020, he wrote to the Registrar requesting the reinstatement of what he termed a “suspension” of his practising certificate, contending that there was no valid certificate at the time of its cancellation. He followed up with another request in October 2020, seeking to have the suspension lifted while his criminal cases remained pending.
On February 4, 2021, Mr. Lateef urged the Registrar for a swift resolution to his prior requests. In response, the Registrar indicated that an evaluation of his ability to practise law was still underway. By March 2021, Mr. Lateef received a show-cause notice regarding six pending criminal charges, which required a reply within 21 days.
The court found that Mr. Lateef did not respond within the given timeframe, despite presenting an unsigned draft reply and asserting that he had communicated with the Registrar. The Registrar, however, refuted the receipt of any such response.
Justice Deepthi Amaratunga, in her ruling on December 1, deemed the appeal without merit, stating that Mr. Lateef should have applied for a renewal of his practising certificate after its expiration in 2020, which he failed to do. Consequently, she struck off the appeal as superfluous, also deciding not to impose any costs on Mr. Lateef.
This outcome underscores the legal obligations for practitioners to maintain updated certification and comply with legal procedures, reflecting a commitment to uphold the integrity of the legal profession.
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