A legal practitioner, Mr Olatunde Adejuyigbe (SAN), has called for regular review of Law curriculum to improve the standard of legal education in Nigerian universities.
Adejuyigbe said this at the presentation of a book titled, “Reflections On Dynamics Of The Law, “ written by Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun.
He said that regular review of law curriculum would ensure that the students were in tune with new developments in law practice.
“Law curriculum should be constantly reviewed because it will benefit the students.
“I discovered that some courses that are being taught now were not taught when I was a law student then,” he said.
Adejuyigbe said that topics in the new book dealt with contemporary issues which lend credence to the dynamism of the law.
“It makes the reader to relate with what is happening in the country.
“The honoree is a man that has a mind for excellence and that was why he was elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“I am well aware that the honoree is allergic to mediocrity and failure, hence his phenomenal accomplishments as Vice-Chancellor of LASU,” he said.
Adejuyigbe said that the title of the book underscored the point that the efficacy of law was determined by its ability to keep up with the development in the society and the world.
“The twenty-one chapters in the book are arranged into five different areas: public law, corporate and tax law, environmental law, private and property law and international law.
“This review highlights the issues such as the new trends and vistas in the offence of rape in Nigeria based on the innovative provisions of the Violence Against Persons Act 2015 as discussed by Prof. Badaiki.
“The Act, which is applicable only in the Federal Capital Territory, created a gender -neutral regime and contains provisions for compensation for victims of sexual offences.
“I agree with his recommendation that the provisions of the VAPPA Act should be adopted by other states of the federation,” he said.
He said that it was indubitable that Nigeria achieved a major breakthrough towards the expeditious hearing and determination of criminal cases with the enactment of the Administration and Criminal Justice Act 2015.
“ The major challenge in our nation is not the dearth of laws but lack of political will to enforce the laws, “Adejuyigbe said.
According to him, strident calls for an African indigenous legal and judicial system have continued with unabated force.