Writing & Commentary
Legal updates, case notes, and commentary exploring Nigerian law, constitutional questions, and the craft of legal reasoning.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has adjourned the appeals of SERAP and its Deputy Director against a N101 million defamation judgment to 13 October 2026 after a late appellant's brief, and consolidated both appeals.
Read articleWhat the latest demand means—and what remains for the electoral commission to decide
Read articleAt the opening of the National Industrial Court's 2026/2027 legal year, the Chief Justice of Nigeria is reported to have warned lawyers to verify AI-generated authorities, to criticise judgments without attacking judges, and to avoid forum shopping. It is an address, not a judgment or a practice direction. A look at what was said and what it does and does not change.
Read articleThe Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the NMDPRA to continue issuing and renewing import licences for three marketers once they meet the regulator's conditions, holding that its refusal breached the Petroleum Industry Act. The regulator keeps its licensing powers, and Dangote Refinery's separate Lagos suit is not decided by this judgment. A look at what was decided and what the reports leave open.
Read articleThe Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the University of Calabar to restore 214 law students' access to lectures and the portal until their suit is decided. It is an interlocutory order, not a ruling on whether their admission to Law was valid. A look at what was decided and what the reports do not yet say.
Read articleThe Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the nullification of CAMA 2020 provisions that gave the CAC powers over incorporated trustees, including churches, mosques and NGOs, while narrowing the ruling on section 851. A look at what was decided and what the reports do not yet say.
Read articleA Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered banks to restrict debits on Osun State Government accounts to preserve $13.9m and ₦157.5m tied to an arbitral award. The order is interim: it does not decide any challenge to the award.
Read articleThe certified judgment is narrower than the first reports suggested. The Federal High Court did not quash the LPDC's three-year suspension of Gadzama, SAN; it held that enforcing it is unconstitutional while no route of appeal exists.
Read articleThe National Assembly has sent the State Police constitutional alteration bill to the 36 state assemblies, while a Federal High Court suit asks whether the House of Representatives followed the Constitution when it passed it. A look at the bill, where it stands, and the procedural question.
Read articleOn 24 September 2026 the Supreme Court unanimously restored four Electoral Act 2026 provisions on party membership registers and candidate nomination, setting aside the Court of Appeal's July decision in INEC's appeal against the Zenith Labour Party.
Read articleA plain-English investigation into the gap between what artificial intelligence can already do and the laws meant to govern it - from the first confirmed AI-orchestrated cyberattack to autonomous weapons.
Read articleThe 1967 Outer Space Treaty was written for a different era. As anti-satellite weapons, orbital cyberattacks and debris multiply, the law of armed conflict in space remains dangerously unwritten.
Read articleAfter eight days of deliberation a Massachusetts jury could not decide whether postpartum psychosis stripped Lindsay Clancy of criminal responsibility. A look at what the mistrial reveals about the McHoul standard.
Read articleA summary and analysis of the Supreme Court's decision in Gov., Kogi State v. Simon, on functus officio, the enforcement of declaratory judgments, and the finality bar in section 243(4) of the Constitution — with the majority reasoning and Ogbuinya, J.S.C.'s dissent.
Read articleThe 1999 Constitution distributes power across three arms of government. In practice, the boundaries are far less tidy than the text suggests.
Read articleNigerian courts once demanded a personal, tangible interest before opening the courtroom door. Recent decisions suggest a more generous posture, but the older rule has not disappeared.
Read articleThe NDPA replaced a regulation with a statute and created a commission with real enforcement powers. Here is what organisations need to have in place.
Read articleThe 2009 Rules simplified fundamental rights litigation considerably. Applications still fail on avoidable procedural points.
Read articleDigital documents now dominate litigation. Section 84 of the Evidence Act sets the conditions, and courts apply them strictly.
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