Introduction

Law as a University discipline lies somewhere between the arts and the sciences, being more precise than most of the humanities and more concerned with human nature than most sciences.  As an intellectual discipline, it may be said to be both an art and a science.  The study of law develops the skill or strict relevance, agility of mind and logical argument.

 Mission and Vision

 The law degree course have been planned to provide liberal education in law for students hoping to work as legal practitioners and also to offer an interesting and challenging discipline to those students intending to pursue non-legal careers.  A student, by selecting suitable options may prepare himself for legal practice or for a career in the diplomatic service, commerce, industry or politics.  All law students must strive to acquire the analytical skills and precision of thoughts required of every lawyer.  Nevertheless, law is not an isolated subject and it not the aim of the Faculty to produce narrow specialists.  Our courses are framed to take account of the setting, whether it be social, economic or political in which law operates today.

Objective

The Faculty objective is to produce law graduates with the appropriate level of analytical skills and precision of thought required to make good lawyers.

 Degree Programs

The Faculty offers a five year Degree Program and prepares students for the Bachelor of Law (LL.B) Degree.  The program is based on the approved National Universities Commission academic standards, which came into operation in the 1990/91 academic year.

 The program comprises 38 courses made up of 3 General Course, 8 Inter-Faculty courses and 7 Faculty courses.  All the Inter-Faculty courses are compulsory, including 13 Law courses.  Other courses are electives.

 General (GSS) Courses:  Use of English, Nigerian Peoples and culture, History and Philosophy of Science.

 Inter-Faculty Courses:  Computer Programming, Economics, Accounting, Sociology, Political Sciences, Psychology, Literature in English and Mass Communication.

 Faculty Courses:  Logic and Philosophical Thoughts, Legal System, Criminal Law, Commercial Law, Industrial/Labour Law, Law of Torts, Constitutional Law, Nigerian Legal System, Banking and Insurance, Law on Intellectual and Industrial Property, Land Law, Equity and Trust, Law of Evidence, Women and Minority Rights, Law of Energy and Natural Resources, Law of Arbitration, Administrative Law, Jurisprudence and Legal Theory, Long Essay, Company Law, Environmental and Planning Law, Conveyancing, Public International Law, Introduction to Advocacy, Family and Law of Taxation.

Elective/Optional Courses:  Law Courses.  Industrial /Labour Law, Banking and Insurance, Law on Intellectual and Industrial Property, Women and Minority Rights, Law of Energy and Natural Resources, Law of arbitration, Administrative, Company Law, Environmental and Planning Law, Conveyancing Law, Public International Law, Introduction to Mass Communication, Principles of Accounting, Literature in English.

 The Academic Year

Each year is divided in two semesters of about 15 weeks.  At the end of each semester, the students take examinations in the courses for which they registered and in which they attended lectures during the semester, provided that they attended at least 75% of the lecturers delivered in a given course.

 First Year

In the first semester, 9 courses are done, while 7 are done in the 2^nd semester.  Only two of these are law courses.  The courses in law the foundation for subsequent students.  The non-law courses are University-wide and inter-faculty courses, which are geared towards the general mental development of the students and are also intended to acquaint them with the general principles of other disciplines.

 In addition, the first year of the student commences with an intensive one-week introduction to Law course in which students are given a brief introduction to some essential terms and techniques and are taught how to use a law library.

 Second Year

In each semester, 4 compulsory law course comprising fundamental branches of the law are studied.  1 non-law course is also taught each semester.

 Third Year

In the third year, which is also divided in tow semesters, four law course are studied:  2 of them are compulsory and the other 2 are electives.  In addition, 1 non-law course is studied in each semester.

 Fourth Year

Each semester of the fourth year has 5 courses.  Four of them are law courses, and 1 is non-law.  3 are compulsory, 1 is elective.

Fifth Year

Five courses pr semester are studied in the 5^th year, four of them are law courses.  2 of the law courses are compulsory while the other 3 are electives.

 Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Law Faculty, a candidate must have credit level passes in at least 5 subjects at either the West African school Certificate (WASC)  examination or the General Certificate of Education (GCE) examination at ordinary level, or the Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) examination,  (or the equivalent) obtained in not more two sittings.  These subjects must include English Language, English Literature and Mathematics or some other science subject namely Physics, Zoology or Botany.

In addition, the candidate must either

1. obtain a good pass at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Examination (JME) or
2. hold a degree, diploma certificate, HND, OND, or NCE from a recognized institution or credit level passes in 3 subjects at GCE “A” level.

 Competition for places in law is severe throughout the country and possession of any of the above basic qualifications will not necessarily ensure entry.

 Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate, a student must complete ten/eight semesters of at least thirty-eight credit units and not more than forty-eight credit units in each academic year.  Credit unit means one lecture hour, or one tutorial hour, or three hours of practical class, per week throughout a semester.  Every student in the final year must participate in the compulsory research project and present an original dissertation (Long Essay) on an approved topic from any of the law courses offered in the Faculty of Law.

 Teaching methods

In every law course studied, a student will receive instruction normally by way of weekly lectures and tutorials.

 There are currently three existing departments namely:- (1) Department of Commercial & Property Law, (2) Department of International Law and Jurisprudence and (3) Department of Public and  Private Law.

 Intended New Program(s)

The Faculty of Law does not intend to introduce any new program(s) between now and the 2016/2017 academic year.

 Existing Programs with Commencement Dates

Programs                                  Commencement Dates

LL.B                -                       90/91 Academic Session

LL.M               -                                   1999

Ph.D.               -                                   1999   

(iii)       Duration of  Programs

(a)        UME Entrants:  Five years

(b)        Direct Entrants:  Four years