MOTHER OF two Pamela Izevbekhai is to get a new lawyer to represent her in her Supreme Court bid to prevent the deportation of her family.
The Chief Justice, Mr Justice John Murray, was told yesterday that Ms Izevbekhai, who last week represented herself in a failed bid to stop the State using certain material in opposing her appeal to prevent deportation, is getting a new lawyer.
The State wants the Supreme Court to dismiss Ms Izevbekhai’s case on grounds allegedly that it was brought on the basis of fraudulent documents to the effect her first-born child had died from female genital mutilation (FGM).
Last Friday, Ms Izevbekhai, who claims her two children will be subjected to FGM if returned to Nigeria, had represented herself after her fourth set of lawyers sought to withdraw from the case.
The court adjourned the proceedings until yesterday so an early date could be found for the hearing of the issues.
The Chief Justice said yesterday the earliest date available would be in the next law term, which opens in January. There were many other cases also seeking priority, the demands on the Supreme Court were very heavy and the resources available to it were “lower than any other court in Europe”, he said.
Ms Izevbekhai confirmed to the Chief Justice that she was getting a new lawyer.
The judge told her she would need to notify the State of the name of the lawyer and ensure any submissions she wanted to make were lodged within three weeks.