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An end to slavishness? a note on Alli v. Okulaja1
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 July 2009
Extract
“At present, indeed, the Nigerian courts tend slavishly to follow any English decision”. This recent decision of the High Court of Lagos State, however, appears to be the first example of a judicial refusal to follow an English precedent, other than in cases involving the measure of damages, or interpretation of statutes similar to those in force in Nigeria, but not identical. BECKLEY, J., said of Edmeades v. Thomas Board Mills Ltd.:
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References
3 Nwabueze, Machinery of justice in Nigeria, 1964, p. 37.
4 Salihu v. Tin & Associated Minerals Ltd, [1958] N.R.N.L.R. 99.
5 See Arbico Ltd. v. Federal Board of Inland Revenue, [1966] 2 All N.L.R. 303, 305.
6 [1969] 2 W.L.R. 668.
7 At p. 77.
8 See Misr (Nigeria) Ltd. v. Oyedele, [1966] 2 All N.L.R. 249, at p. 252 (obiter).
9 Decisions in its appellate capacity are binding: Agbalaya v. Bello, [1960] L.L.R. 109. See the full discussion in Olawoyin v. A-G of Northern Nigeria, [1960] N.R.N.L.R. 53.
10 The most recent exposition of this is in New essays in African Law (1970), chap. 2.
page 248 note 1 The sources of Nigerian law. p. 63.
page 248 note 2 The Machinery of Justice in Nigeria, p. 21.
page 248 note 3 Solomon v. African Steamship Co. (1928), 9 N.L.R. 99, at p. 100.
page 248 note 4 Laibru Ltd. v. Building & Civil Engineering Contractors, [1962] 1 All N.L.R. 387.
page 248 note 5 See, Interpretation Act, s. 45 (3), and Apatira v. Akanke (1944), 17 N.L.R. 149.
page 248 note 6 Park, op. cit., p. 37.
page 249 note 1 See Brown, C.J., in Olawoyin v. A-G of Northern Nigeria, [1960] N.R.N.L.R. 53, and Aguda, “The role of the judiciary in the development of the law”, in Select Law Lectures and Papers (1971) at p. 28.
page 249 note 2 [1944] K.B. 718.
page 249 note 3 Op. cit., p. 59, n. 51.
page 249 note 4 High Court Law (North), s. 35; High Court Law (East), s. 16—where the reception date is September 30th, 1960; High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules (West) Order 35, r. 10: “the procedure and practice in force for the time being in the High Court of Justice in England shall, so far as they can conveniently be applied, be in force …”
page 249 note 5 Op. cit., p. 23: “this emancipation of Nigerian law should be achieved by enacting that no English cases, whatever their date, should be absolutely binding on the courts of Nigeria”.
page 250 note 1 [1969] 2 W.L.R., at pp. 672–673.
page 250 note 2 In Companhia de Mocambique v. British South Africa Co., [1892] 2 Q.B. 358, pp. 404–405.
page 250 note 3 (1750) 1 Ves. Sen. 444 (27 E.R. 1132).
page 250 note 4 Sub nom., British South Africa Co. v. Companhia de Mocambique, [1893] A.C. 602.
page 251 note 1 Cmnd. 3691 (1968).
page 251 note 2 S. XI, p. 79.